BUSTED: Democrats Caught Rigging Congressional Maps Early

Republican elephant and Democrat donkey on American flag.

A Virginia circuit court judge has delivered a crushing blow to Democrats’ rushed attempt to redraw congressional maps before the 2026 midterms, exposing a brazen scheme to circumvent constitutional procedures and flip up to four House seats in their favor.

Story Highlights

Judge Jack S. Hurley, Jr. ruled Democrats violated constitutional requirements by improperly using an open 2024 special session to fast-track redistricting amendments
The ruling blocks a proposed April 21, 2026 referendum that would have allowed Democrats to create a “10-1” congressional map favoring their party
Democrats vowed immediate appeal, calling the decision “court-shopping,” while Republicans celebrated a victory for rule of law
The decision preserves current competitive district maps through at least 2026, potentially protecting Republican control of the U.S. House

Court Halts Unconstitutional Power Play

Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack S. Hurley, Jr. issued preliminary and permanent injunctions on January 27, 2026, nullifying Democrats’ October 2025 passage of constitutional amendment HJ6007. The amendment aimed to enable mid-decade congressional redistricting before the 2026 midterm elections. Judge Hurley determined Democrats violated Virginia’s constitutional amendment process, which requires passage in two successive legislative sessions with an intervening House of Delegates election. Democrats exploited an unclosed 2024 budget special session called by then-Governor Glenn Youngkin, convening it in October 2025 while early voting was already underway—a maneuver that lacked proper unanimous consent and procedural notice required for such actions.

Virginia Judge SHUTS DOWN Democrats’ Power-Grab Redistricting Scheme — Rules Map CANNOT Go to Referendum Until After 2027 Election https://t.co/Qrd4UDJhJ2

— Warren Hultquist (@whultquist) January 29, 2026

Democrats Push Partisan Gerrymander as Countermeasure

Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas publicly advocated for a “10-1” congressional map that would secure ten safe Democratic seats and leave Republicans with just one district. This aggressive redistricting push emerged after Democrats gained General Assembly control in 2023 elections using court-drawn maps from the previous redistricting cycle. Democrats framed their effort as a response to Republican-led mid-decade redistricting in Texas, Ohio, Missouri, and North Carolina under President Trump’s influence. However, Virginia’s constitution mandates redistricting occur decennially following the census through a bipartisan commission established in 2020 reforms, making this mid-cycle attempt a departure from established practice designed solely for partisan advantage.

Constitutional Requirements Ignored for Electoral Gain

The ruling exposed how Democrats attempted to manipulate procedural timelines to bypass constitutional safeguards. Virginia requires constitutional amendments to pass in two successive sessions before and after an intervening election, followed by voter referendum. By reconvening Governor Youngkin’s still-open 2024 special session in October 2025, Democrats tried to satisfy the “two sessions” requirement artificially. Judge Hurley emphasized the constitution clearly requires an “intervening election FOLLOWING the first passage,” which Democrats failed to observe. The January 2026 regular session repassage could not cure the defective October vote. This procedural sleight-of-hand would have effectively eliminated voter input between legislative approvals, undermining the democratic accountability built into Virginia’s amendment process.

Implications for National Republican Strategy

The ruling delivers significant implications beyond Virginia’s borders, protecting the narrow Republican majority in the U.S. House that President Trump needs to advance his legislative agenda. By preventing Democrats from flipping up to four Virginia congressional seats through gerrymandering, the decision maintains competitive district lines through at least the 2026 midterms. Republican leaders Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle and House Republican Leader Terry Kilgore, who served as plaintiffs, praised the outcome as a “decisive victory for the rule of law.” Democrats plan to appeal, potentially to the Virginia Supreme Court, though any referendum now cannot occur before 2028 if the amendment process restarts properly after the 2027 elections. The decision reinforces that state-level procedural requirements cannot simply be ignored when partisan majorities seek electoral advantage.