Virginia Republicans Slam Democrats' Plans to Overturn State Supreme Court Redistricting Ruling

Virginia Republicans criticized national and state Democrats for what they called insane proposals to overturn the Supreme Court of Virginia's 4-3 ruling against a Democratic redistricting plan. The attacks targeted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other national Democrats after a Monday New York Times report on their meeting to revive the blocked 10-1 map.

"It is insane — is my first take on that, because I mean, it would be crazy to throw out judges for making the right decision," Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, said.

"That would just be beyond the pale. I think a lot of Virginians would see through that. And it's too late for them to do it as a matter of law," he added, pointing to a May 12 pre-primary deadline.

The Times report said Jeffries, D-N.Y., took part in discussions on lowering the retirement age for state justices, retrying the case before a hand-picked court, and using a Republican-favorable ruling from Tazewell County Judge Jack Hurley. That decision first invalidated a redistricting referendum, though the state Supreme Court allowed the vote to go forward. Democrats now eye Hurley's reasoning to challenge the 2020 referendum that set up the independent redistricting commission they sought to bypass with an April vote.

"That just shows you how power-hungry Hakeem Jeffries and his Democrats are up there, and I'm glad the Supreme Court followed the rule of law, and it was a good day for Virginia," Kilgore said.

Democrats pushed back. Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, said he, House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, and Senate President Pro Tem L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, filed an emergency application for relief with the Supreme Court of the United States by late Monday.

Critics noted typos on the filing's first page, including a reference to the "Supreme Court of Virginia" and misspelling Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover — the original plaintiff — as "Sentator." That drew online mockery, with memes and a Virginia political account renaming itself over the errors.

In a Thursday statement after the ruling, Scott said he "respect[ed]" it and noted the close vote showed Virginians wanted to fight back against President Donald Trump. He added that Virginia Democrats will "keep fighting for a democracy where voters — not politicians — have the final say."

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., whose Shenandoah Valley district faced being split into three parts, said Jeffries and national Democrats are furious that the state Supreme Court upheld the rule of law. He called the Democratic map push illegal and urged Virginians to get politically involved.

Kilgore called using the Tazewell ruling against the redistricting commission grasping at straws, since the panel already drew state legislative districts without challenge.

Separately, West Virginia lawmakers proposed letting some conservative rural Virginia areas secede, like West Virginia did from Virginia on June 20, 1863. Maps from proponents in Charleston included Kilgore's mountainous delegate district.

"I think that's a little bit premature," Kilgore said. "I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and I'm going to stay right here and take Virginia back."

"We can take Virginia back, as you saw the close vote in the yes-no. That's where Virginians are. We're a close state. We’re a purple state."

Kilgore predicted Virginia voters will swing back hard to Republicans over the year's events, setting up a purple-state shift ahead of Trump's House efforts in November.