Virginia’s political landscape is bracing for a seismic shift as Democrats in the state legislature move to redraw congressional districts—a maneuver that could reshape the balance of power in Washington ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The push comes on the heels of similar efforts by Republicans in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina, and could make Virginia only the second Democratic-led state, after California, to throw its hat into the high-stakes national redistricting battle.
On October 23, 2025, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott sent a letter to his colleagues, calling them to convene for a special legislative session on October 27. While the letter itself was tight-lipped about its purpose, four sources with direct knowledge of the plans confirmed to the Associated Press that the session’s main goal is to consider redrawing the state’s U.S. House districts in hopes of boosting Democratic representation. According to two Democratic sources cited by HuffPost, the plan could add two or even three Democratic-held seats—a move that, if successful, would give Democrats a shot at reclaiming control of the U.S. House by flipping just three seats nationwide.
“Virginia’s decision to convene and preserve the right to consider a new map in 2026 is critical in the fight to ensure voters have fair representation,” said Courtney Rice, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in a statement to the Associated Press. The sentiment was echoed by Jon Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, who told HuffPost, “We’ve been monitoring Republicans steal seats left and right, and put maximalist pressure on states across the country to try and reshape this democracy in a way that is not reflective of the people. So I would say it shouldn’t be surprising to folks that a place like Virginia would take a moment like right now to retain its optionality for what it decides to do next year.”
The timing of the special session is no coincidence. It lands just days before Virginia’s November 4 state elections, which include high-profile races for governor, attorney general, and the state legislature. Polling suggests that voters in the blue-leaning state are already inclined to support Democrats as a check on President Donald Trump’s administration, and the redistricting effort could further energize the party’s base. The move, however, has not gone unnoticed by Republicans, who are framing it as a calculated distraction from controversies swirling around Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones. Adam Piper, executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association, didn’t mince words, saying, “Virginia Democrats are in full panic mode. Instead of calling for Jay Jones to drop out because of his murderous text message and being the subject of a criminal fraud investigation—they’re playing partisan games forcing lawmakers to return to Richmond for a special session that’s a bigger farce than Jay Jones ‘community service.’”
Redistricting is typically a once-a-decade affair, triggered by the census. But this year, the process has become a political arms race. President Trump, in an unusual move over the summer, urged GOP-controlled states to redraw key districts in hopes of bucking the historical trend of the president’s party losing seats in midterms. Republican lawmakers in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina have already approved new congressional maps designed to lock in their party’s slim House majority. North Carolina’s new map, finalized just last week, was engineered to make a swing district held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Don Davis more favorable to Republicans, adding more GOP-leaning voters—without requiring the sign-off of Democratic Governor Josh Stein.
Virginia’s current congressional delegation is split: six Democrats and five Republicans, all elected from districts imposed by a court after a bipartisan redistricting commission failed to reach consensus following the 2020 census. The state’s independent redistricting commission was itself the product of a 2020 voter-approved constitutional amendment, intended to take the heat out of the process. But now, with partisan tensions running high, that very amendment is at the heart of the current drama. Any change to the commission or the congressional maps must be approved by the electorate, and the process is anything but simple.
Here’s how it would work: The Virginia General Assembly would need to pass a constitutional amendment in two separate sessions—first before Election Day 2025, and again after the new legislature convenes on January 14, 2026. Only then would the proposed maps go to a statewide voter referendum, likely in early 2026. If voters give the green light, the new districts would be in play for the midterm elections later that year, with primaries currently set for June 16 (though, as history shows, those dates can shift).
Democrats currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly and are expected to pad those numbers in the House of Delegates in November, according to reporting from HuffPost. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the House Majority PAC—an influential group aligned with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries—are both actively involved in planning for the redistricting campaign. The House Majority PAC, which has already spent $15 million to support California’s upcoming referendum on new Democratic-friendly maps, could provide similar backing in Virginia if the proposal advances.
But not everyone in the Democratic camp is on the same page. Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the party’s nominee for governor and the odds-on favorite to win, has largely sidestepped questions about whether she would support new maps, focusing her campaign instead on pocketbook issues like lowering costs. Even Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) seemed caught off guard. “Whatever is being discussed is not being done in a context of isolation,” Warner told HuffPost. “I think this would not even be discussed if you weren’t seeing these actions in Republican-controlled states.”
Meanwhile, the process is unfolding under the watchful eye of the national media and political strategists from both parties. California, the only other Democratic-led state to wade into the redistricting fight, is set to hold a November 4 vote on whether to suspend its independent commission’s maps in favor of a legislature-approved version that could net Democrats as many as five new seats. In contrast, states like Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas have been able to redraw their maps without direct voter approval—though, in Missouri, opponents are gathering signatures to force a statewide vote.
As the legislative session kicks off on October 27, one thing is certain: the outcome will not be decided overnight. The process is expected to stretch well past the November elections, with multiple rounds of legislative votes and a final say from Virginia voters themselves. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If Democrats succeed in adding even a couple of seats, it could tip the balance of the U.S. House and deal a serious blow to Trump’s efforts to shape the next Congress.
For now, all eyes are on Richmond. As the state’s lawmakers gather, Virginians—and the nation—are watching to see whether this bold gambit will pay off or simply add another twist to the already tangled saga of American redistricting.
