# Virginia Supreme Court Strikes Down Democrat Redistricting After $70M Campaign

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrat-redistricting-after-70m-campaign
- Published: 2026-05-08T19:13:19.056753+00:00
- Topics: redistricting, gerrymandering, virginia, midterm-elections, supreme-court

## What the left says
- The court's 4-3 decision overturns the will of over 3 million Virginia voters who democratically approved the redistricting referendum in April
- This ruling allows Republicans to maintain an unfair structural advantage despite Virginia being a purple state where Democrats won the popular vote
- The decision undermines democracy by letting courts silence voter voices and represents a dangerous trend of judicial interference in electoral processes
- Democrats needed this redistricting to counter aggressive Republican gerrymandering in Texas, Florida, Tennessee and other red states that eliminated Democratic seats

## What the right says
- The Virginia Supreme Court correctly ruled that Democrats violated the state constitution's procedural requirements for constitutional amendments
- Democrats attempted an unconstitutional power grab by rushing the amendment process after early voting had already begun, denying 1.3 million voters their constitutional rights
- The proposed 10-1 Democratic map was an extreme partisan gerrymander that would have disenfranchised Republican voters in a state Trump won 46% of the vote
- Democrats wasted over $70 million on an illegal scheme that violated basic constitutional procedures from the beginning

## Common ground
- The Virginia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the redistricting process violated Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution
- Democrats spent over $60 million campaigning for the redistricting referendum that passed 51% to 49% in April
- The current congressional map will remain 6 Democrats to 5 Republicans instead of the proposed 10-1 Democratic advantage
- Multiple states across the country are engaged in redistricting battles that could significantly impact House control in November

## Sources
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-redistricting-democrats) (Lean Left)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/local/richmond/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-redistricting-vote-decision) (Lean Left)
- [Blaze Media](https://www.theblaze.com/news/virginia-dems-obama-hyped-gerrymander-referendum-overturned-by-states-high-court-null-and-void) (Right)
- [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/05/08/nolte-virginia-supreme-court-kills-democrat-gerrymander-scheme/) (Unknown)
- [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/republicans-democrats-react-after-virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-states-redistricting-plan/) (Lean Left)
- [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/virginia-supreme-court-redistricting-congressional-map-democrats/) (Lean Left)
- [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/video/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-congressional-map-that-would-benefit-democrats/) (Lean Left)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-in-full-meltdown-over-devastating-court-decision) (Right)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-ruling-reshapes-redistricting-battle-for-house-control) (Right)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-virginia-supreme-court-just-nixed-the-spanberger-gerrymander) (Right)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-redistricting-in-brutal-blow-to-democrats) (Right)
- [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/justice-celebration-mockery-erupt-after-spanberger-gerrymander-blown-up-blockbuster-decision) (Right)
- [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/social-media-erupts-after-democrats-burned-64m-failed-virginia-gerrymander) (Right)
- [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-supreme-court-rules-new-congressional-map) (Right)
- [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/trump-celebrates-va-supreme-court-strikes-down-horrible-gerrymander?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right)
- [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-voter-approved-redistricting-referendum?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right)
- [Just The News](https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/va-supreme-court-overturns-redistricting-referendum?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators) (Right)
- [Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion](https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/05/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrat-redistricting-referendum/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrat-redistricting-referendum) (Unknown)
- [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/virginia-supreme-court-blocks-congressional-map-favoring-democrats-262999621971) (Lean Left)
- [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/politics/virginia-supreme-court-democrat/2026/05/08/id/1255654) (Right)
- [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/05/08/us-news/social-media-erupts-after-democrats-burned-64m-on-failed-virginia-gerrymander/) (Lean Right)
- [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/us/politics/virginia-redistricting-supreme-court.html) (Lean Left)
- [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/08/us/politics/virginia-redistricting-gerrymandering-takeaways.html) (Lean Left)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrats-redistricting-plan-dimming-partys-midterm-hopes) (Lean Left)
- [PJ Media](https://pjmedia.com/athena-thorne/2026/05/08/breaking-virginia-supreme-court-st-cans-gerrymander-n4952630) (Unknown)
- [RealClearPolitics](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/05/08/dems_dealt_midterm_blow_as_court_tosses_virginia_map_699199.html) (Center)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2026/05/08/between-the-va-gerrymander-upset-and-red-state-redistricting-its-looking-terrible-for-democrats-n2202132) (Unknown)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2026/05/08/hot-takes-hakeem-jeffries-implodes-as-republicans-celebrate-va-supreme-courts-gerrymander-ruling-n2202133) (Unknown)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-decision-on-democrat-gerrymander-n2202127) (Unknown)
- [The Daily Signal](https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/08/virginia-victory-for-voters/) (Right)
- [The Daily Signal](https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-dem-redistricting-measure/) (Right)
- [The Federalist](https://thefederalist.com/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrat-gerrymander/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=virginia-supreme-court-strikes-down-democrat-gerrymander) (Right)
- [The Guardian US](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/may/08/donald-trump-republicans-tennessee-redistricting-maps-voting-rights-iran-latest-news-updates) (Left)
- [The Guardian US](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/08/virginia-supreme-court-rules-against-congressional-maps) (Left)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5868474-live-updates-donald-trump-us-iran-strikes-ceasefire/) (Center)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5869934-trump-virginia-redistricting-ruling/) (Center)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5869616-virginia-supreme-court-tosses-redistricting-map-2026-midterms/) (Center)
- [Townhall](https://townhall.com/tipsheet/jeff-charles/2026/05/08/virginia-supreme-court-rules-against-democrats-gerrymandering-referendum-n2675762) (Right)
- [Washington Free Beacon](https://freebeacon.com/democrats/virginia-supreme-court-slaps-down-democrats-gerrymandered-congressional-map/) (Unknown)
- [Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/08/virginia-court-invalidates-redistricting-measure/) (Lean Left)
- [Washington Times](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/may/8/virginia-supreme-court-tosses-states-new-pro-democrat-gerrymandered/) (Right)

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