RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia's General Assembly has taken the initial, decisive step toward potentially redrawing the state’s congressional maps mid-decade, passing a constitutional amendment that would strip the independent redistricting commission of its exclusive authority and return power to the legislature in certain circumstances.

This move is seen by Democrats as a necessary countermeasure to the wave of "partisan gerrymandering" occurring in Republican-led states like Texas and North Carolina ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The Complex Constitutional Hurdle

Unlike states that can redraw maps through a single legislative act, Virginia's process is arduous and multi-phased, requiring: two votes by the General Assembly across two separate sessions (with a House of Delegates election in bet

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