The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit Wednesday to block Virginia from holding a special April referendum that could clear the way for mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts.

The RNC warned that the move could dramatically shift the balance of power in the House.

The lawsuit, filed in the Circuit Court of Tazewell County, seeks emergency injunctive relief and a declaratory judgment halting an April 21 special election on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional maps before the next decennial redistricting cycle.

The RNC, joined by the National Republican Congressional Committee and GOP Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith of Virginia, argued that the amendment process violates Article XII of the Virginia Constitution because it was not passed in compliance with the required intervening-election procedure and the ballot language allegedly differs from the amendment approved by lawmakers.

"Virginia Democrats are trying to ram through an illegal redistricting scheme that a court has already called a blatant abuse of power," RNC Chair Joe Gruters said in a statement. "Despite nearly half of Virginians supporting President [Donald] Trump, [Gov.] Abigail Spanberger and Democrats are working to silence voters and lock in permanent political control.

"They're ignoring the state constitution, misleading voters, and rushing a sham election."

Under the Virginia Constitution, a proposed amendment must pass the General Assembly in two separate sessions, with an intervening general election between votes, before being submitted to voters.

The RNC contended that requirement was not properly satisfied and that the April referendum is being scheduled prematurely.

The lawsuit also challenges House Bill 1384, which schedules the April 21 special election and provides $5 million in funding for it, arguing early voting is set to begin March 6, before what plaintiffs contend is the constitutionally required timeframe.

According to the complaint, the proposed amendment would effectively strip authority from the Virginia Redistricting Commission — established by voters in 2020 to oversee nonpartisan map-drawing — and return that power to the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.

Democrat leaders, according to the complaint, argued that the amendment would "restore fairness" to Virginia's congressional maps and allow lawmakers to address what they describe as partisan imbalances ahead of upcoming elections.

The ballot language approved under HB 1384 asks voters whether the Constitution of Virginia should be amended to allow the General Assembly to temporarily adopt new congressional districts "to restore fairness in the upcoming elections," while maintaining the state's standard redistricting process after the 2030 Census.

The Virginia dispute unfolds against the backdrop of a broader national fight over rare mid-decade redistricting efforts in Republican- and Democrat-led states.

Although congressional maps are typically redrawn only after the decennial census, lawmakers in states such as Texas and California have in the past year explored or pursued redraws outside the typical cycle as partisan control of the U.S. House has tightened.

In Virginia, the proposed amendment could significantly alter the state's 6-5 Republican edge in its 11-member U.S. House delegation.

The lawsuit argues the redrawing authority would enable Democrats, who control the General Assembly, to reshape districts in a way that could flip as many as four Republican-held seats, potentially producing a 10-1 Democrat majority.

With control of the House frequently decided by narrow margins, even a shift of a few seats in a competitive state like Virginia could carry outsized implications in the midterm elections.

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