Virginia passed a constitutional amendment on April 21 that would redraw the commonwealth's congressional map, giving Democrats an advantage.
The Associated Press called it for the "Yes" vote at around 8:50 p.m. ET.
The passage of the amendment is a victory for Democrats who look to even the score with Republican states, such as Texas, that redrew their maps to add districts to favor their own party.
The success of the Democrats will give the party 10 seats in the House of Representatives—a drastic shift from the current map, which is six Democratic districts and five Republican districts. The measure will take effect until 2030, when redistricting would be done by the commission.
Proponents of the redistricting measure said it was needed after Republicans redrew congressional maps in states such as Texas.
“Donald Trump’s decision to prioritize redrawing voting maps across the country instead of focusing on lowering costs for families has created extraordinary circumstances for states like Virginia. There is now a temporary proposal aimed at preserving a fair playing field and protecting Virginia voters,” said Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) in a Feb. 21 statement.
Critics, such as former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, called the vote a Democratic power grab.
Northern Virginia, long a Democratic stronghold, will be divided into five separate districts under the proposal. Several of these districts will extend outward from the Washington, D.C., area in winding shapes designed to incorporate more conservative rural regions.
The reconfigured 7th Congressional District, for instance, will start in Northern Virginia and stretch so far that it splits into two sections to avoid including additional Democratic-leaning communities around Charlottesville, which would instead be assigned to a neighboring district. Its unusual shape has drawn comparisons to a lobster, featuring a narrow extension and two wider ends.
The proposed 6th Congressional District will trace the Blue Ridge Parkway across central Virginia, connecting a chain of Democratic-leaning communities. It will run from Harrisonburg, home to James Madison University, through Charlottesville and the University of Virginia, then continue to Lynchburg—where Liberty University is located—before passing through Roanoke and ending in Blacksburg, home to Virginia Tech.
By comparison, Virginia’s current congressional map largely keeps the Richmond area within the 4th District. That district extends from the state capital south to the North Carolina border and backed former Vice President Kamala Harris by a 32-point margin.
The most subtle change will occur in the Norfolk area, particularly in the competitive 2nd Congressional District. Under the proposed map, a district that was nearly evenly split in the 2024 presidential election will become more favorable to Democrats by replacing rural, Republican-leaning areas with more densely populated, strongly Democratic communities closer to Norfolk.
Overall, the addition of four seats in Virginia could be enough to give Democrats control of the House during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s administration, amid a broader wave of redistricting efforts nationwide.
Voters who spoke with The Epoch Times in northern Virginia, a key area that determines the outcome of races in the state, said they voted "Yes."
Gillian Maupin said that the measure "is sort of the opposite of gerrymandering." She did not elaborate.
Mike Sallosi said he is in favor of redistricting and that the amendment is going to give "a more fair balance" amid the redistricting that has occurred throughout the United States such as in Texas.
"I think it's a power balancing by the Democrats because of all the other gerrymandering that's going on in the rest of the country," he added.
Lara Meehan, who took her small dog to the polls, stated she voted in favor of the referendum because of GOP redistricting throughout the United States.
"I am going to do everything in my power to stop MAGA from taking any more seats, any more power, giving them anything," she said "I'm here for the temporary gerrymandering of Virginia."
Tim Strutzel said he does not like redistricting but said voting in favor of the amendment was necessary in response to Republicans in states such as Texas redrawing their congressional maps.
"I'm hoping, after we do this and the dust settles, put a law in place that says you can't redistrict until 10-year census," he added.