Virginia voters are poised to weigh in on a proposed congressional map that would give Democrats an advantage in 10 of the commonwealth’s 11 House seats after Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Friday signed a bill setting up a spring referendum.
Democratic leaders in the Virginia General Assembly unveiled their proposed map Thursday after internal debate over how aggressively to redraw the lines. Under the current court-drawn map, Democrats hold six House seats to five for Republicans.
But should voters approve the new map in an April 21 special election, Democrats would have a chance to flip up to four House seats in November, boosting their efforts to win control of the chamber. The constitutional amendment would bypass the state’s independent redistricting commission to allow for a new map until the next scheduled nationwide redistricting ahead of the 2032 elections.
