Virginia voters approve major redistricting measure

'Hit back hard.' Top takeaways from Virginia's restricting map referendum

Phillip M. Bailey

The outcome in Virginia, coupled with a similar referendum win for Democrats in California in 2025, means Trump is now trailing in a partisan gerrymandering fight that he started.

Trump urged Texas Republicans to redo their state's map last year to protect the GOP House majority from a projected "blue wave" this fall. He's arm-twisted other GOP-led states, such as Missouri and North Carolina, to do the same.

Those three states and Ohio combined added nine seats favoring Republicans to the national map, according to trackers. But that tactic appears to have backfired after the president's liberal foes undertook the same strategy in California and Virginia, which, along with Utah, have adopted new maps giving Democrats 10 seats.

"While many expected Democrats to roll over and play dead, we did the opposite," House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, told The Associated Press. "Democrats did not step back. We fought back. When they go low, we hit back hard."

Read more takeaways from Tuesday's results here.

National Urban League leader: Trump didn't envision Virginia midterm map win

Terry Collins

 Trump didn't visualize Virginia passing a redistricting referendum that could give Democrats a major advantage in Congress, Marc Morial, CEO and president of the National Urban League, told USA TODAY.

The civil rights leader said Trump couldn't see past the state of Texas, which he first asked to change its congressional maps to give Republicans an advantage heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

"This was an important response to what Trump initiated, and I don’t think he anticipated that Virginia voters, especially those on the Democratic side of the Commonwealth, responded so forcefully," said.

The passage in Virginia, Morial said, was a referendum on voting rights and standing up against an unprecedented power structure in the White House.

"This is an effort to counteract that, and it shows that people are fed up," Morial said. "The president and his allies didn't believe that first California, and now Virginia, would react in the way they have." 

Redistricting referendum win may still have hurdles to jump, expert says

Terry Collins

While voters in Virginia approved a redistricting referendum, the measure may still face some obstacles, Kyle Kondik, an executive at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, tells USA TODAY.

The polling for the measure indicated that the pro-Democratic referendum's passage "wasn't going to be a blowout," said Kondik, the managing editor of Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball, a well-read nonpartisan political newsletter.

Kondik compares the referendum win more closely to Kamala Harris winning the state of Virginia in the 2024 presidential election than fellow Democrat Abigail Spanberger's double-digit win to become the state's first female governor in November 2025.

However, Kondik said it’s not completely over yet. The Virginia Supreme Court could weigh in later, he said, and even throw out the redistricting decision on grounds stemming from lawsuits that question whether Democrats followed proper procedures to amend the state constitution and a potential recount.

"There is still a chance this map might not be in effect this November," Kondik said about the possibility of the redistricting applied for the midterm election that could change Virginia's 11-member congressional delegation from a close 6-to-5 Democratic edge to a major 10-to-1 advantage.

"But getting voters to approve it was definitely a huge hurdle to jump," Kondik concluded. 

Could a recount be looming?

Bill Atkinson

Election night results may or may not be the last word on the issue. The losing side can always call for a recount, but certain criteria must be met.

Chief among those criteria is the margin of victory. Virginia election law is twofold on the topic of referendum recounts. They can be requested if the victory margin is either 50 votes or less, or a difference of 1% or less.

That is different from office-seeking elections, where the margin of difference must be one-half of 1%.

Also, unlike a contested election, the requestors foot the bill up front for a recount instead of the state paying for it.

The recount request must be submitted by a group of registered voters within 10 days of the declaration of the outcome. Local electoral boards across the state will meet this week to certify the results.

Neither side has commented yet on the possibility of a recount, but given the amount of money and effort put into the campaign by both sides, the possibility is likely.

Virginia politicians react to 'yes' win

Bill Atkinson

Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott, one of the chief architects of both the question and the redrawn map, said in a statement issued after the race was called that Virginians were not going to let Trump "rig our democracy" by pushing the state to follow the lead of Texas, Kansas and North Carolina.

“Let’s be clear about what this means: Virginia just changed the trajectory of the 2026 midterms," Scott said. "At a moment when Trump and his allies are trying to lock in power before voters have a say, Virginians stepped up and leveled the playing field for the entire country."

If Virginia does, in fact, turn the congressional delegation from 6-to-5 Democratic to an overwhelming 10-to-1 majority, that could be enough to offset the projected seven seats gained in the three other states.

Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in a statement that she looked forward to "campaigning with candidates across the commonwealth working to earn Virginians' trust and their votes."

She had come under fire from Republicans during the campaign for opposing gerrymandering while a member of the House of Representatives but aligning with her fellow Democrats to support the question now. She touched on that criticism in her statement, saying: "I remain committed to ensuring Virginia's bipartisan redistricting commission gets back to work after the 2030 census, and to protecting the process Virginians voted to create.”

House of Delegates Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, a Republican, said that the vote was "never the final word" in a statement released by the party after the vote had been called. He remained hopeful that Republicans could still prevail in the state's Supreme Court, which paused the GOP legal challenges against the referendum until after the election.

Virginia candidates claim new districts

Lyra Bordelon

The 2024 Democratic nominee for the sixth district, Ken Mitchell, waited until after the election to decide where he would run. Shortly after the election was called by several news networks, Mitchell declared he would run in the new seventh district.

“I got into this in 2024 because folks in rural Virginia have for too long been left behind in Congress,” Mitchell said. “The new 7th district brings together parts of Shenandoah Valley, central, and northern Virginia, and the residents of the district deserve a candidate who can relate to them, articulate their needs and their struggles, and ensure that no voice is lost.”

Tom Perriello, a candidate for the fifth district, issued a press release minutes later stating his intention to run in the new sixth district.

"Folks around here can agree on one thing – we are paying way too much for gas, groceries and healthcare. It’s time to fire Congressmen like Ben Cline who jacked up costs to protect the corrupt,” said Perriello. "I’ve held hundreds of listening sessions across the Blue Ridge, and families deserve a representative who will fight to get costs down, paychecks up, and common sense back in the driver’s seat."

Eric Holder: Virginia prevented Trump's 'attempt to steal' midterms

Terry Collins

Virginia's redistricting referendum win has stopped President Trump's attempt to "steal" the midterm election, said Eric Holder, chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

Holder, the former U.S. attorney general, said the victory levels the playing field against Republicans' "egregious power grabs" in Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina. "They didn’t just win an election – they have stopped Donald Trump’s attempt to steal the 2026 midterms in its tracks and defended the principle that elections should be fair, competitive, and decided by the people," Holder said in a statement Tuesday night.

"Let this be a message to MAGA Republicans and the White House: enough is enough," Holder added. "If Republicans insist on continuing efforts to draw the American people out of a say in the future of their country, they can expect to see voters across the country follow in Virginians' and Californians’ footsteps and rise up to stop them."

Resistance to splitting county

Lyra Bordelon

The first tally of votes in Augusta County came in around 7:50 p.m., with No votes having a heavy lead over Yes, 3,921 to 944. Moments later, it jumped to 5,921 to 1,292. Then 7,532 to 1,534. Then 9,683 to 1,979. These early results seemed a loud and clear local rejection of the way redistricting would split Augusta County into three congressional districts.

Virginia voters approve redistricting measure

James Powel

Virginia voters have approved the redrawing of the state's congressional maps.

The Decision Desk HQ called the vote for "yes" at 8:25 p.m. ET and NBC News did the same around 8:45 p.m. ET and the Associated Press followed at 8:49 p.m. ET.

Democrats urged 'yes' votes

Lyra Bordelon

Fifth District congressional candidate Tom Perriello, a potential contender to represent the sixth district if redistricting passed, wrote on social media around 2 p.m. that he and his mother went to the polls together.

“Democracy is SWEET!” wrote Perriello. “Armed with her famous homemade cookies, my mom and I are turning out the YES vote! See you at the polls!”

Ken Mitchell, the 2024 Democratic nominee for the sixth district who was waiting until after the special election to decide which district to run in, encouraged voters to support the referendum in a morning social media post.

“VOTE YES!” wrote Mitchell. “It’s Election Day, Virginia! Join me in voting YES by 7 p.m. to push back against Donald Trump’s MAGA power grab. This referendum isn’t about Democrats taking power; it’s about restoring fairness. That’s why the redistricting amendment is temporary and conditional: it’s only activated on a one-time basis if Republican states push through partisan gerrymandering to favor Republicans (spoiler alert: Texas already did). We have the chance today to keep the 2026 midterm elections fair. We can’t let it pass us by.”

Blue cities 'deliver' in redistricting vote, analyst says

James Powel

Zachary Donini, the Head of Data Science at VoteHub, wrote on X that Democratic cities delivered support in favor of redistricting in "in a big way."

He added that the support was "fitting, given that they’re central to Democrats’ new 10–1 map."

Beat by beat, the election was close the entire time

Lyra Bordelon

Early statewide results from the referendum election showed a pattern of partisan voting: With about a third of Virginia's precincts reporting, the lead changed hands several times: 592 of Virginia's 2,534 precincts reported, and the margin between support for and opposition to redistricting is about 10,000 votes. "Yes" leads "no" by a difference of 51%-to-49%. 

Four minutes later, No took the lead statewide 51%-to-49%.

Pete Barlow, a Democratic primary candidate for the sixth district who lives in Augusta County, said his vote is for his daughter. Barlow previously stated his opposition to redistricting. 

“As a dad, I am more convinced than ever that my vote is not for me,” Barlow wrote on social media. “It’s not for my ego or to voice my anger. It’s not a shot across the bow for ideology or vitriol. My vote is for her. It’s based upon my values and the example I want to lead. It is about what will ultimately make her world the very best it can be. This is her vote.”

Rep. Ben Cline posted a photo of him voting around 4:30 p.m., saying “I voted NO. I voted NO against liberal tyranny. I voted NO against ripping apart the Blue Ridge. I voted NO against a radical agenda that wants to import illegal immigrants, confiscate your firearms, and take your money.”

No votes from rural VA

Bill Atkinson

As expected, most of the opposing votes have come from Virginia's rural areas. Support appears to be strong in places such as Northern Virginia, as well as Charlottesville and Petersburg in Central Virginia, Norfolk and Portsmouth in Tidewater Virginia, and Roanoke in western Virginia. Charlottesville and Petersburg appear to have the most lopsided margins of support, with 86% and 84% respectively.

Support is also narrowly leading in traditionally conservative Chesterfield County in Central Virginia between Richmond and Petersburg.

Partisan line showing in early results

Bill Atkinson

Up to 592 of Virginia's 2,534 precincts are reporting results, and the margin between support for and opposition to redistricting is about 10,000 votes.

Since the polls closed, the lead has changed hands several times. For the most part, the partisan line is showing, with support coming from Northern Virginia and urban areas such as Petersburg and Charlottesville, and opposition coming from the rural areas.

Staunton registrar 'shocked' by early voting turnout

Lyra Bordelon

On April 20, Staunton Registrar Christi Linhoss said she was “frankly, quite shocked” at the early voting turnout, comparing the numbers to the 2025 gubernatorial election.

• In Augusta County, 11,967 out of 58,366 registered voters have already cast their ballots. There were 2,205 ballots mailed and 1,640 returned.
• In Staunton, 4,093 out of 19,388 registered voters participated in early voting. There were 1,268 ballots mailed out, with 855 coming back filled out and 100 returned as undeliverable or unvoted.

Not everyone was willing to share how they voted. Some have conflicting feelings on the amendment. Even so, everyone who was asked did have one opinion in common.

"It's important to vote," said Amy Wiseman. "Everybody has a voice, make yours heard."

Polls close in Virginia special election

Terry Collins

The polls have now closed in the special Virginia redistricting election.

According to the Virginia Department of Elections, voters who are standing in line at polling sites by the 7:00 p.m. closing "will be able to vote."

Jeffries: Va. results will be 'down to the wire'

Phillip M. Bailey

When the polls close at roughly 7 p.m. EST, don't expect a quick result.

Polling has shown the Virginia referendum will be much closer than similar campaigns in Democratic-led states, such as California, where it was a 2-to-1 rout last November."It's my expectation that this race is going to be very close, down to the wire, and every vote is going to count," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a Washington, DC radio station on April 20.

The handful of surveys show a tight outcome close to or within the margin of error, with the "yes" side holding a slight edge. An April 15 poll by Quantus Insights, for instance, showed about 51% of likely Virginia voters say they approve of the amendment versus roughly 47% say they would reject it, with an approximate 3% margin of error.

Some have had the "yes" side winning by eight percentage points while other polls have the "no" side prevailing with the same margin.

Election Day reports have hinted at a higher turnout in rural areas where conservative voters are piping hot at the aggressive Democratic-leaning map that eliminates four of the five GOP seats. But that might not be enough to overcome the roughly 1.3 million ballots that were cast during the state's early voting, which typically benefits Democrats.

If we could talk to the animals...

Bill Atkinson

In years past, pundits and journalists have often assigned animal shapes to describe what the district resembles.

For example, the proposed 7th District, which sprawls from Northern Virginia down through Central Virginia and points west, has been coined the “lobster district” by veteran journalist Dwayne Yancey of the Cardinal News. The long stretch between Northern and Central Virginia is the lobster’s body, while its protrusions into Central and Western Virginia resemble its claws.

That is an astute observation. Too bad, though, that Virginia is known more for catching crabs than lobsters.

The remaining 10 districts do not immediately bring distinctive animal shapes to mind, although the redrawn Fourth District kind of resembles a box turtle crawling along the Virginia-North Carolina line – its shell encompassing the urban areas of Richmond and Petersburg, its little head extending east toward Williamsburg, and its short little legs going west to east between Danville and Southampton County. 

When all is said and done, the animal shapes do not offer any rhyme or reason other than generating political clout or gaining seats in Washington.

VA Senate President sees 'big win' in 4/20-themed post

James Powel

L. Louise Lucas, the Democratic President of the Virginia Senate, said that she was "excited for a big win" the night before the vote.

She posted an image to X that read "I fill my bong with Republican tears," referencing the unofficial 4/20 holiday, also known as Weed Day, on Monday.

Lucas has been a prominent advocate for redistricting in Virginia as states have scrambled to redraw their congressional maps.

Virginians for referendum: 'It only makes sense'

Lyra Bordelon

STAUNTON – Over 600 people had voted at the Gypsy Hill Park Gymnasium in Staunton by 3:30 p.m. A blue locality surrounded by the red Augusta County. Many in Staunton were in favor of the amendment.

“On principle, I don't like the idea of having to gerrymander at all,” said Sheila Dietrich. “I think it is not great to represent, basically most of America. However, because gerrymandering is being used, weaponized, in other states, it only makes sense to weaponize it in this state as well.”

Kathryn Simmons has worked as a nurse for over 30 years and voted in favor of redistricting. She sided with the Democratic pitch to temporarily redistrict and put guardrails in front of Trump and congressional Republicans from making further changes to healthcare, like the Once Big Beautiful Bill Act.

“I've had patients cry [because] they can't pay for the medications that they've been prescribed and told that this is what you need to have, or that they can't even get procedures done that are lifesaving,” Simmons said. She emphasized the need for expanded preventative care to avoid expensive intensive care bills.

'10 seats to one? How does that represent all of Virginia?'

Lyra Bordelon

STAUNTON – Not everyone was voting in favor of the new map.

The nearest locality, Augusta County, a member of the current Sixth District, would be. divided into three different districts if the amendment passes. Current Sixth District Rep. Ben Cline has been on a town hall tour urging voters to say "no" since before the election started and is a plaintiff in a lawsuit that attempted to stop the election before voting started.

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors came out against redistricting due to the shape of the map. Several representatives of Augusta County in the Virginia legislature have stated opposition for similar reasons, such as Del. Chris Runion and Sens. Mark Obenshain and Chris Head.

Robert Lane echoed these points when explaining his no vote.

"You can't have a fair election if you rig all the votes," said Lane. "10 seats to one? How does that represent all of Virginia?"

Virginia sets up Obama v. Trump proxy war

Phillip M. Bailey

President Donald Trump has toyed with the idea of running against former President Barack Obama in 2028 with both men seeking a third term, which is forbidden under the U.S. Constitution.

Obama hasn't entertained such a challenge. But his involvement in the Virginia special election sets up a rare clash between a current and former White House occupant, which might be the closest thing the public gets to a head-to-head contest.

Trump persuaded Republicans to get to the polls in an April 20 tele-rally saying, "the whole country is watching" the outcome. He called Democrats "extreme" and the proposition a "shameful" attempt to "disenfranchise" conservatives.

In the other corner, Obama cut a 30-second advertisement for Democrats in which he slammed the GOP. He said Republicans are trying to "steal" seats in Congress and "rig the next election" this fall.

Ironically, both sides are using Trump and Obama's images to engage in a bit of misinformation.

Obama previously opposed partisan gerrymandering and those opposed to the new map were running their own spots featuring the former president saying as much. A local Democratic Party in Virginia was caught using Trump's image on a misleading billboard that falsely claimed he was in support of the referendum.

What does the Virginia referendum say?

Phillip M. Bailey

The ballot question asks Virginia voters if they want to change their state Constitution to allow legislators to redraw their maps this year.

It asks: "Should the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts to restore fairness in the upcoming elections, while ensuring Virginia’s standard redistricting process resumes for all future redistricting after the 2030 census?"

Under the current system, a 16-member bipartisan commission crafts those lines.

Republican legislators on the "no" side argue the language has a Democratic tilt that favors the "yes" side because it says "restore fairness" to the fall elections. Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore has told other media outlets the referendum lacks "neutral framing" as a result.

Trump tries to rally Republicans against referendum

James Powel

President Donald Trump attempted to persuade Republicans to get to the polls the night before the vote, saying that “the whole country is watching” in a tele-rally that also featured Speaker of the House Mike Johnson.

The president called the proposition a “shameful” attempt to “disenfranchise” Republican voters.

“If this referendum passes, it will silence Virginia conservatives,” Trump said during the rally on April 20.

Virginians for Fair Elections responded in a text blast by alleging that Republicans are trying to "rig" the state's midterm elections. The pro-voting group said the rally "tells you exactly what this is about: their power."

Early voting confusing some Election Day voters

Bill Atkinson

As early voting for the redistricting referendum transitions into Election Day, April 21, one local registrar has expressed frustration with a steady stream of confused voters showing up at her office, thinking that is where they are supposed to cast their ballots. 

It’s not a problem unique to the special election day. It is something voter registrars’ offices everywhere are experiencing, Petersburg Registrar Dawn Wilmoth told The Progress-Index, part of the USA TODAY Network. 

For example, in Petersburg, Wilmoth said she has had “a steady stream” of voters coming to her office since Election Day began Tuesday morning, wanting to cast their ballots. 

“Like another general registrar said ... 45 days of hearing to go one place, then change gears and voters only have one day, Election Day, to do another,” Wilmoth said. “The changes the state made in the process have caused great confusion.” 

Full story:'Utter confusion' in Petersburg over locations for redistricting voting

Northern Virginians cast ballots along party lines

Karissa Waddick

A steady stream of voters walked into a local city hall in Fairfax County, a liberal-leaning area in Northern Virginia, Tuesday morning to cast their ballot in the special election. High turnout in the suburb about 20 miles west of Washington, DC is believed to be key to Democrats' victory in the state race. 

The dozen or so people USA TODAY spoke with said they voted along party lines: with Democrats in support of redistricting and with Republicans who opposed.   

Alec Pritchard, 31, said his initial reaction to Virginia’s referendum was a “deep sigh.”  

“I definitely do think it overcomplicates political issues with voting if every state can just wake up and decide to redistrict based on frustration,” Pritchard, a Democrat, said. 

Ultimately, he said he opted to support the measure to counter Republican redistricting efforts elsewhere in the country and “level things out.”  

Sandra Diehl, a 72-year-old who described herself as a “Trumper,” viewed the referendum as a local issue, rather than a national one. Diehl said she hadn’t read about battles to redraw electoral lines in Texas, California and other states.  

“This is Democrats trying to change the map because it scared the hell out of them that we voted in a Republican governor,” Diehl said, referring to former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

How did we get here?

Phillip M. Bailey

Typically, each state sketches out new congressional maps every decade after the U.S. Census is tallied. Still, Trump arm-twisted other conservative-leaning legislatures across the country, including Missouri and North Carolina, to follow Texas's lead.

It is a controversial tactic meant to stiff-arm expected Democratic gains in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is currently divided 217-to-213 in favor of the GOP. Some GOP-controlled states, such as Indiana, have resisted Trump's demands, while others like Florida, are mulling their options.

Many civic-minded organizations have decried elected officials for embracing gerrymandering, and for part of 2025, Democrats were uneasy about following the president down this path.

But given the stakes in the midterm elections, top figures in the party, namely California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said Democrats must return the favor and fight fire with fire. California, by a more than 2-to-1 margin, voted in November to alter its map, adding five Democratic-leaning seats ahead of the fall campaigns.