(The Center Square) – Virginia Democrats released proposed congressional district maps late Thursday tied to a pending constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade redistricting.
The maps outline how Virginia’s 11 congressional districts would be redrawn under a constitutional amendment already passed by lawmakers. The plan, released through the General Assembly’s Legislative Information System, is tied to a statewide referendum scheduled for April 21.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger has until Feb. 11 to act on the amendment. If approved, voters would decide whether to allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts before the 2030 census.
According to analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project, which reviewed the proposed districts using precinct-level results from the 2025 gubernatorial election, the maps would create 10 Democratic-leaning districts and one Republican-leaning district.
Virginia’s congressional map as finalized by the Virginia Supreme Court in 2021 includes five districts classified as strongly Democratic, two that lean Democratic, one competitive district, two that lean Republican and one strongly Republican district. Today, the state has six Democrats and five Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives – a difference closely aligned with the 2024 presidential race where Democrat Kamala Harris defeated Republican Donald Trump in Virginia 51.8%-46.1% from more than 4.5 million votes.
Under the proposed configuration, five districts would be considered strongly Democratic, five would lean Democratic and one would lean Republican.
No districts would be classified as competitive under the proposal, according to VPAP.
District-level data show Democratic candidates receiving at least 54% of the vote in 10 proposed districts based on the 2025 governor’s race, while the lone Republican-leaning district shows a GOP advantage exceeding 70%.
The release of the maps drew immediate criticism.
Former Attorney General Jason Miyares said the proposal was created “in defiance of a court order,” referring to a recent circuit court ruling involving the redistricting process. He said it undermines the voter-approved redistricting framework approved by Virginia voters in 2020.
“They have shattered communities, destroyed common interests, and trampled state interests,” Miyares said, adding that opponents would continue challenging the maps through legal and electoral channels.
Democratic leaders have defended the proposal as a response to mid-decade redistricting efforts underway in other states.
House Speaker Don Scott and Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas have said the plan is intended to “level the playing field” nationally.
Legislative leaders have said the proposed maps would not take effect unless voters approve the constitutional amendment and the plan survives potential legal challenges.
