Mar 23, 2026 - News

Virginia GOP districts lead early redistricting turnout

Karri Peifer

Animated illustration of the state of Virginia glitching, with an ellipsis cycling through its dots on top of it. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Republican congressional districts in Virginia are so far out-voting ones held by Democrats in the state's redistricting referendum, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Why it matters: Just over two week in, early voting turnout suggests that Virginia's GOP voters aren't giving into the Democrats' proposed "10-1" map without a fight.

By the numbers As of Friday, more than 300,000 Virginians have cast ballots for the redistricting referendum since early voting began at the start of the month, per the latest tallies from VPAP.

The 1st District, which includes Richmond, and is currently held by Republican Rep. Rob Wittman, is currently leading the state with over 42,000 ballots cast, followed by GOP strongholds the 5th and 6th.
Meanwhile, just over 24,000 votes have been cast in the 4th District, the other big Richmond district, which is currently held by Democrat Rep. Jennifer McClellan.

Zoom in: In metro Richmond, Hanover has seen the strongest turnout, with more than 6,000 ballots, or nearly 7% of registered voters, cast so far.

In Henrico: 12,327 votes, or 4.9% of registered voters.
In Chesterfield: 12,911 votes, or 4.5% of registered voters.
And in Richmond, the bluest part of metro RVA: 4,370, or 2.6%.

What's next: Early voting for the referendum runs through April 18. April 21 is Election Day.

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Virginia GOP districts lead early redistricting turnout

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