Virginia Dems Move to Flip House Seats Days Before Election

Virginia Democrats Launch Surprise Redistricting Push

In a bold and unexpected maneuver just days before the November 4 election, Virginia Democrats have announced plans to redraw the state’s congressional district maps—a move that could net them two or even three additional U.S. House seats.

The initiative, confirmed by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, marks Virginia as the second Democratic-led state—after California—to respond to a wave of Republican-backed redistricting efforts championed by former President Donald Trump.

Why Now? The Political Timing Explained

With all 100 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates up for grabs on November 4, Democrats currently hold a narrow 51–49 majority. In the State Senate, they enjoy a 21–19 edge, with no elections until 2027. This gives them a rare window to act swiftly.

Crucially, a special legislative session called by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin in May 2024 was never formally closed by Democratic lawmakers—leaving the door open for them to reconvene without the governor’s approval. That procedural loophole is now being leveraged to kickstart the redistricting process as early as Monday.

How Redistricting Works in Virginia

Unlike most states, Virginia requires a constitutional amendment to redraw congressional lines mid-decade. The process involves:

Approval by majorities in two consecutive General Assembly sessions (one now, another after January 15, 2026)
A statewide referendum, potentially as early as spring 2026

This means the maps won’t affect the 2025 elections—but they could dramatically reshape the 2026 midterms, when control of Congress is again at stake.

Targeting Republican Strongholds

Currently, Democrats hold 6 of Virginia’s 11 House seats. Under the existing map, three districts are considered competitive:

District	Incumbent	Party	2024 Challenger
VA-01	Rob Wittman	Republican	Well-funded Democrat
VA-02	Jen Kiggans	Republican	Well-funded Democrat
VA-07	Eugene Vindman	Democrat	Well-funded Republican

While no new maps have been drafted yet, insiders suggest redrawn boundaries could target VA-01 and VA-02—both held by vulnerable GOP incumbents in swing-leaning areas.

Political Fallout and Reactions

Republicans have slammed the move as “desperate” and “hypocritical.” Adam Kincaid of the National Republican Redistricting Trust called it a last-minute attempt to “change the conversation” before Election Day.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’s campaign accused Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger of breaking her August promise not to pursue redistricting. “She said she wouldn’t do it—now her party is doing it anyway,” said spokeswoman Brittany McGivern.

Spanberger, a former U.S. Representative, has not been involved in the planning and declined to comment through an aide.

Meanwhile, Rep. Eugene Vindman welcomed the effort: “I’m proud that Democrats in Virginia are leading the charge to fight back against Trump’s attempts to rig the midterms.”

A Broader National Battle

Virginia’s move is part of a growing national tug-of-war over redistricting:

Texas and Missouri have already enacted GOP-favored maps
North Carolina approved a new map likely to flip one seat to Republicans
California is asking voters to approve a Democratic-leaning map
Florida, Indiana, Kansas, and Nebraska are considering similar actions

“The farther Donald Trump drags our country into a gerrymandering crisis, the more states will look for responsive options,” said John Bisognano of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.

Irony in Richmond: Undoing Their Own Reform

In 2020, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment—spearheaded by many of the same Democrats now leading this effort—to create an independent redistricting commission aimed at ending partisan gerrymandering.

Now, those lawmakers may ask voters to temporarily suspend that very commission to allow for politically driven map changes.