Virginia voters approve effort to redraw congressional map
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Virginia voters approved a redistricting measure Tuesday, the AP reports, clearing the way for a new congressional map that could help Democrats flip multiple Republican-held districts.
Why it matters: The move positions Virginia as a key battleground in a national redistricting fight that could help determine control of the U.S. House.
The big picture: The referendum passed with 50.3% of the vote, per AP as of just before 9pm, allowing lawmakers to redraw congressional maps ahead of the November midterms and temporarily bypass the state's post-census process approved by voters in 2020.
- The new map could shift Virginia's congressional delegation from a 6-5 split to 10-1 favoring Democrats.
Zoom in: The Democrat-led strategy hinges on reshaping the Richmond region and Northern Virginia, which will now be part of five congressional districts instead of the current three.
- Metro Richmond will be split into four blue-leaning districts (1st, 4th, 5th and 7th) and will pair some of the more traditionally Republican parts of the city's suburbs like Hanover and Goochland with deep-blue parts of NoVa.
- The city itself, which has historically been one district, will be sliced in half, redistributing voters into more competitive and conservative parts of the state.
Between the lines: That could put pressure on Republican Reps. Rob Wittman (1st) and John McGuire (5th), whose red-leaning Richmond-area districts would essentially disappear.
Reality check: This doesn't mean Virginians' congressional representative changes overnight, a state Department of Elections spokesperson told Axios.
- Representation stays the same until next January, when the winners of the November elections are sworn in.
- And the new maps will remain in place until the next round of redistricting after the 2030 census.
Zoom out: Virginia is the second Democrat-led state where voters have approved a redistricting push, following California last year.
- The campaign was at times hard to follow, some voters said — with competing groups bearing similar names, conflicting ads featuring figures such as former President Obama and candidates launching campaigns in districts that don't exist yet.
- Nearly $100 million poured into Virginia's election, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
What we're watching: The Virginia Supreme Court is still weighing a case that tried blocking the redistricting vote — meaning the court could void the referendum, though it's unlikely.
- More legal challenges are also expected along with more candidates joining the races in newly drawn districts.