RICHMOND — In a ruling with major implications for Virginia’s political landscape heading into the 2026 midterm elections, the Supreme Court of Virginia on Friday struck down the state’s newly adopted congressional redistricting map, restoring the previous district boundaries drawn after the 2020 Census.
The 4-3 decision invalidated a voter-approved constitutional amendment and the congressional map that followed it, with the court finding that lawmakers violated constitutional procedures when placing the proposal before voters.
The court ruled that the General Assembly improperly advanced the amendment after early voting had already begun, depriving voters of adequate notice and rendering the process unconstitutional.
Justice D. Arthur Kelsey, writing for the majority, said the decision was based on constitutional procedure rather than partisan considerations.
“The Constitution’s procedural safeguards are not optional,” the opinion stated.
The map, backed largely by Democratic lawmakers, had been expected to shift several Republican-held congressional districts into more competitive territory. Political analysts said the plan could have altered the balance of power in Virginia’s congressional delegation.
Republicans challenged the map shortly after its approval, arguing it amounted to an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander and violated the bipartisan redistricting reforms Virginia voters adopted in 2020.
Democratic leaders defended the measure as a response to aggressive Republican redistricting efforts in other states, including Texas, Florida and North Carolina.
With Friday’s ruling, Virginia will revert to the congressional boundaries currently in place unless lawmakers adopt a new plan that satisfies constitutional requirements.
The decision immediately reshapes the outlook for the 2026 congressional races and is expected to intensify political debate in Richmond over how legislative and congressional maps should be drawn in the future.
