The Virginia Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to allow certification of a closely contested referendum to enact a new congressional map, leaving in place a lower court order as legal challenges continue, the Washington Examiner reported.
The decision denies a request from state Attorney General Jay Jones. Jones, a Democrat, had asked Virginia's highest court to pause a ruling from a Tazewell County circuit judge and permit election certification to move forward.
Last week, a court found that Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly violated several state laws in rushing the referendum onto the ballot for an April special election.
The judge barred state officials from certifying the results, effectively freezing efforts to implement the new map.
Tuesday's order from the Virginia Supreme Court does not address the underlying legal merits of the case. The justices heard oral arguments a day earlier and are expected to issue a broader ruling that will determine whether the referendum stands, according to the Examiner.
If the court ultimately sides with Democrats, the new map could significantly reshape Virginia's congressional delegation, potentially shifting it from a narrow 6-5 advantage for Democrats to as much as 10-1.
If the referendum is struck down, the district map used in the 2022 and 2024 elections would remain in place.
The referendum itself passed by a slim margin, with 51.7% of voters in favor and 48.3% opposed.
The proposed changes come despite Virginia's relatively narrow partisan lean at the presidential level. In the 2024 election, Kamala Harris carried the state with 51.8% of the vote, compared with 46.1% for Donald Trump.
In oral arguments, several justices pressed attorneys defending the redistricting measure with pointed questions, though the court did not signal how it might ultimately rule.
The case marks the latest flash point in a broader mid-decade redistricting battle playing out in several states.
At issue in Virginia is whether lawmakers improperly bypassed the state's bipartisan redistricting commission — typically responsible for drawing congressional maps following each census — in favor of a legislatively driven process critics have characterized as a partisan gerrymander.
A final decision from the Virginia Supreme Court could have significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. House as both parties seek to gain an advantage ahead of the midterm elections in November.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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