Virginia Supreme Court Blocks Voter-Approved Congressional Map

Virginia's Supreme Court on Friday blocked a newly drawn congressional map that voters had approved in May, ruling that the redistricting effort failed to meet the state's constitutional amendment requirements.

The 2020 amendment set stricter guidelines for drawing and approving congressional districts. It also limited political influence on boundaries, a key issue in the court's decision. Democrats had hoped the map would help flip several Republican-held seats as both parties fight for House control.

Sen. Mark Warner called the ruling outrageous. "I was really disappointed by the court," Warner said. "I’m not going to second-guess the fact that the majority of Virginians voted for this."

"It sure as heck seems like there are one set of rules for Democrats and another set of rules for Republicans," he added.

Sen. Tim Kaine urged Democratic candidates to win races on the existing maps. "Here’s what I think," Kaine said. "We need to do now what we did last November and just go win a whole lot of seats on the maps we didn’t draw."

"Everything about the candidates who are in the races and the dynamic that they're feeling tells me we can do that, so that's what I'm focused on now," he said.

The proposed map targeted four GOP-held districts seen as crucial in Democrats' push to gain ground in the competitive state. Republicans criticized the effort as a partisan power grab. Kaine, in a separate statement, accused Republicans of redrawing maps through backroom deals in other states and faulted the court for questioning the referendum after three million Virginians voted.

With the map blocked, both parties will compete in key Virginia districts that could determine House control in the November midterms.