Democrats in California and Virginia notched significant wins this week in an intensifying national fight over congressional redistricting, pushing back against efforts encouraged by President Donald Trump to redraw district maps ahead of the November midterm elections.
In California, a federal court upheld a new congressional map approved by voters last year, rejecting challenges from Republicans and the Trump administration. In Virginia, Democrats advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts mid-decade under narrowly defined circumstances. Together, the developments mark some of the strongest Democratic responses yet to Republican-led redistricting efforts already underway in several states.
The California ruling centered on Proposition 50, a ballot measure championed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and approved by voters in November. The measure was designed to counter Texas Republicans’ decision to redraw their congressional map mid-decade, a move widely viewed as an attempt to lock in GOP control of the House.
The California Republican Party and the U.S. Department of Justice challenged the new map in federal court, arguing it violated constitutional protections. On Wednesday, two members of a three-judge panel rejected that claim. Judges Josephine Staton, appointed by former President Barack Obama, and Wesley Hsu, appointed by former President Joe Biden, voted to allow the map to stand. Judge Kenneth Lee, a Trump appointee, dissented.
Newsom welcomed the ruling, saying that “Republicans’ weak attempt to silence voters failed. California voters overwhelmingly supported Prop 50.” He added that the court’s decision aligned with the will of voters who approved the measure.
The case could still be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which currently holds a right-wing supermajority that includes three Trump appointees. However, recent precedent highlights the legal barriers facing partisan gerrymandering challenges. As the New York Times reported, “The Supreme Court previously determined that courts could not rule on claims of partisan gerrymandering.” The paper noted that challengers must prove race, not partisanship, was the predominant factor in drawing district lines. In December, the court allowed Texas Republicans to move forward with their newly redrawn map.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee intervened in the California lawsuit and was represented by Elias Law Group. Firm partner Abha Khanna described Wednesday’s ruling as “a vindication of California voters and a decisive rebuke of the Republican Party’s attempt to use the courts to overturn an election.” She said the court recognized that Proposition 50 was a partisan response to Texas’ mid-decade redistricting and argued that accusations of racial gerrymandering raised by Republicans and the Trump Justice Department were “nothing more than a cynical attempt to prevent California voters from having their voice heard.”
While California Democrats prevailed in court, Virginia Democrats moved aggressively through the legislature. On the opening day of the 2026 General Assembly, the Democratic-controlled House of Delegates advanced four proposed constitutional amendments. The most controversial would allow limited mid-decade redistricting of congressional districts.
House Joint Resolution 4 would create a temporary exception permitting lawmakers to redraw congressional maps if another state redraws its districts mid-decade for reasons unrelated to a court order. The authority would apply only to congressional districts and would expire in 2030.
Democrats argue the amendment is necessary to counter Republican gerrymanders elsewhere that could tilt control of Congress. Republicans say it undermines Virginia voters’ 2020 decision to establish an independent redistricting commission.
“This amendment creates essentially a narrow, temporary exception,” said Del. Rodney Willett, the resolution’s sponsor. He emphasized that the proposal does not automatically redraw any district lines and does not eliminate the Virginia Redistricting Commission.
If the measure advances through the Senate, where Democrats also hold a majority, it would be placed on the ballot during a special statewide election in April rather than waiting until November. Democratic leaders say the accelerated timeline reflects the urgency of redistricting battles unfolding nationwide.
“We’re going to focus on today so we’ll get that out of the House and the Senate,” said Del. Cia Price, chair of the House Privileges and Elections Committee. “And then we are looking at a special election for a statewide referendum to have the voters have their say in potentially April.”
Republicans warned that the amendment could lead to major changes in Virginia’s congressional delegation. According to the Hill, “Democratic leaders in Old Dominion are eying either a 10-1 or 9-2 map in a state where Democrats currently have a 6-5 edge in the congressional delegation.” House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore pushed back on that characterization, saying, “We’re not a 10-1 state, we’re not a 9-2 state. We’re a close, 6-5 state, and some of those congressional seats are very competitive.”
Republicans also attempted to block the amendment through the courts. A judge in Tazewell County rejected an emergency request seeking to halt the General Assembly from advancing the proposal, writing that “Plaintiffs’ motion at its core requests the Court to invade the province of the Legislature prior to the final actions of the Legislature.”
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, now chair of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, praised Virginia lawmakers’ decision to move forward. “The continuing effort led by Washington Republicans to unfairly rig the midterm elections with an unprecedented series of mid-decade gerrymanders must be met head-on,” Holder said. “The threat created by the Trump administration to our democracy is grave. Protecting our system requires taking extraordinary and responsive action.”
As Republican legislators in Texas, Florida, Missouri, and North Carolina pursue new maps under pressure from the president, Democrats argue that the actions in California and Virginia represent defensive measures aimed at preserving democratic balance. With voters ultimately deciding the outcome in both states, the fight over mid-decade redistricting is set to remain a central battleground in the months ahead.
COMMENTS