WASHINGTON, April 22 — Voters in Virginia on Tuesday approved a redistricting measure, paving the way for Democrats to potentially gain four more seats in Congress in the November mid-term elections.
The new map could reshape Virginia’s congressional delegation, shifting it from a narrow 6-5 split to a 10-1 Democratic advantage, according to U.S. media reports.
Virginia is the second Democratic-led state where voters have backed a redistricting effort, following California’s approval of a similar measure last year.
In August 2025, the Republican-dominated Texas House of Representatives passed a redistricting bill, helping kick off a broader national push and intensifying what analysts called a nationwide “gerrymandering arms race.”
In Missouri and North Carolina, state lawmakers have also redrawn their maps to make them more favorable to Republicans.
Congressional maps are normally redrawn every 10 years, after the U.S. Census captures population shifts.
This mid-decade redistricting push has been kicked off as the Republicans aim to preserve their razor-thin majority in Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.(Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
