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Virginia Senate Sends Redistricting Amendment to Spring 2026 Referendum

Voters will decide on a temporary exception letting legislators replace the commission’s congressional map under specified conditions.

Overview

  • HJR4 would allow the General Assembly to redraw U.S. House districts when other states make off-cycle or court-ordered changes, bypassing Virginia’s independent redistricting commission.
  • The authority applies only while Democrats hold at least 21 Senate seats and 64 House seats and it sunsets in 2030.
  • Democrats are pushing for an April special election and say a proposed map will be published before the vote, with a late-January release targeted.
  • Virginia’s delegation is currently 6–5 Democratic; proponents say redrawing could add three to four seats, with some reports describing potential 9–2 or 10–1 outcomes.
  • Republicans oppose the amendment, saying it reverses the 2020 voter-approved commission’s role and serves as a partisan power grab.