In the waning days of October 2025, a political storm brewed in Richmond, Virginia, as Democrats in the General Assembly took the first steps toward amending the state constitution to allow for redistricting ahead of the pivotal 2026 U.S. midterm elections. The move, which would let lawmakers redraw congressional districts before the next national vote, is part of a rapidly escalating nationwide battle over congressional maps—one that could tip the balance of power in Washington and reshape the course of American democracy for years to come.
The process to amend Virginia’s constitution is no small feat. Lawmakers must pass the same resolution in two consecutive legislative sessions, separated by an election, before it can go to voters in a statewide referendum. But the stakes have rarely felt higher. As reported by RVA Magazine, the push comes as Republican-led states like Texas, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri have aggressively redrawn their own maps—often to the advantage of the GOP and, critics say, at the expense of fair representation.
Virginia itself is a microcosm of the national divide. The state’s eleven congressional districts are currently split, with six held by Democrats and five by Republicans. Among those Republicans is U.S. Representative Jennifer Kiggans, who represents the Second Congressional District in the Hampton Roads area. Flanked by her four Republican colleagues at a Richmond press event on October 27, Kiggans declared, “We represent majority-making seats. I certainly represent the majority-making seat, and they want the United States House back. We’re not going to give it to them.” Her words underscored the intensity of the fight: If the amendment passes, her district could be redrawn in a way that favors a Democratic challenger, mirroring what’s happened to Democrats in Texas after a Republican-led redistricting overhaul.
The urgency behind Virginia Democrats’ move is clear. As CNN reported, the measure would temporarily bypass the bipartisan redistricting commission created after a 2020 referendum—a body designed to insulate the process from partisan gamesmanship. Democratic lawmakers argue that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, especially as former President Donald Trump has openly urged Republican-led states to reshape their districts to help the GOP win more seats. “Our voters are asking to have that voice. They’re asking that we protect democracy, that we not allow gerrymandering to happen throughout the country, and we sit back,” said Democratic Senator Barbara Favola.
The national context adds further fuel to the fire. In Ohio, a Republican-dominated redistricting commission adopted new U.S. House districts on October 31, a move that could help the GOP pick up two additional seats in 2026 and bolster Trump’s efforts to maintain a slim congressional majority. According to CNN, the Ohio map was adopted unanimously by the seven-member commission, though not without fierce criticism from residents. Julia Cattaneo, who spoke at the commission’s meeting, wore a shirt reading “gerrymandering is cheating” and told commissioners, “Yes, you are compromising—your integrity, honor, duty and to represent Ohioans.” Another resident, Scott Sibley, called the map “an affront to democracy.”
In Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina, Republican lawmakers have already redrawn their maps, with pending court challenges and, in Missouri’s case, a citizen-led veto referendum that could put the new map to a popular vote. As Democracy Docket notes, if the GOP’s new maps in these three states withstand legal and electoral scrutiny, they could net Republicans seven new congressional seats—five in Texas, one in Missouri, and one in North Carolina. All seven of those gains, the publication points out, would come at the expense of minority voters.
Democrats, meanwhile, are fighting back with their own countermeasures. In California, voters are deciding on Proposition 50, a measure that could allow the state to create five more Democratic-leaning districts to offset potential GOP gains elsewhere. Virginia’s proposed amendment, if ultimately approved by voters, would let lawmakers redraw the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms, potentially shifting the balance of the state’s delegation.
But the path forward is fraught with political and legal obstacles. The amendment must clear the General Assembly again in 2026 and then win voter approval in a statewide referendum. The upcoming November 5, 2025, statewide elections—where all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are on the ballot—are crucial. Democrats need to keep their slim majority in the lower chamber to advance the amendment next year.
Republican lawmakers in Virginia are crying foul, accusing Democrats of undermining the will of voters who overwhelmingly approved the bipartisan commission in 2020. “Heaven forbid that we actually link arms and work together on something,” said Republican Senator Mark Obenshain. “What the voters of Virginia said is, ‘We expect redistricting to be an issue that we work across the aisle on, that we link arms on.’” State Senator Mark Peake was even more blunt, dismissing the effort as “a complete fiasco and a boondoggle,” and predicting, “This is not going to hold up.”
Democratic leaders counter that they are simply fighting fire with fire. Virginia State Senator Mamie Locke put it plainly after the resolution’s passage: “Clearly, if the shoe was on the other foot, if they were in the majority, they would be doing the exact same thing that Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, and all of these other states are doing. We would be in the middle of a redistricting fight here in Virginia if they were in charge.”
For all the partisan wrangling, the ultimate decision will rest with Virginia’s voters. If the amendment makes it to the ballot next year, Virginians will have the chance to weigh in on whether to give lawmakers the power to redraw districts ahead of the 2026 midterms. As Delegate Cia Price observed, “We are at an unprecedented time, so we are at an unprecedented session. To argue that Virginians are not impacted by what other states are doing is just not an understanding of civics and how the federal government works. So this is ultimately what we would want to send back to the voters for them to have another say now that the country has changed so much since 2020.”
Meanwhile, the broader redistricting battle shows no signs of slowing down. Indiana is expected to convene a special session soon, with two Democratic seats potentially on the chopping block. In Utah, a court-ordered redrawing is still being contested, and could even open the door for a Democratic pickup. And looming over it all is the possibility of a Supreme Court ruling in Callais v. Louisiana that could further weaken the Voting Rights Act, potentially allowing more GOP-controlled states to eliminate majority-minority districts.
With redistricting litigation piling up and both parties maneuvering for advantage, the future of congressional representation—and the very rules of American democracy—hangs in the balance. As the 2026 midterms approach, all eyes will be on Virginia, Ohio, and the handful of other battleground states whose maps could decide who holds power in Washington for years to come.
