Signs are seen outside Fairfax Government Center during the Virginia redistricting referendum, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Virginia voters approved a referendum Tuesday allowing lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional district map, paving the way for Democrats to pick up as many as four additional House seats to offset Republican redistricting gains. 

The referendum proposed a constitutional amendment to implement a new map that will likely give Democrats nine of Virginia’s 10 Congressional seats. The referendum narrowly passed with 51.5% (1,574,525) voting “yes”, and 48.5% (1,485,670) casting “no” votes.

The redistricting push followed a Democratic sweep in the state last November. The party expanded its House of Delegates majority to 64-36 and retained the state Senate 21-19, with Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) securing the Democratic trifecta in the gubernatorial race. 

A constitutional amendment was necessary to implement the new map, which is usually only redrawn every ten years after each U.S. Census. Before the referendum could appear in front of voters, the both chambers of state legislature had to approve the amendment in two separate votes that took place last October and January. 

Redistricting battle

Last year, President Donald Trump began publicly calling for Republican-controlled states to gerrymander their maps to give the GOP an advantage for retaining the House of Representatives in 2026. 

Texas (+5 Republican seats), Missouri (+1 R) and North Carolina (+1 R) have already implemented new maps. Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) signed the state’s new map into law in September, but there is an ongoing campaign seeking to block the map unless voters approve it in a referendum this fall. 

Republican efforts in Indiana and Kansas both failed to gain enough support because of Republican dissent and public disapproval, even though members of the Trump administration repeatedly pressured lawmakers to pass new maps. Trump also publicly bashed Republicans who refused to support mid-decade redistricting, leading to threats and swatting incidents for several state politicians.

The Ohio maps, which have been gerrymandered by the state GOP since 2011, were also updated. Trump’s pressure did not play a factor in Ohio since the state constitution required the legislature to redistrict last fall.

Florida’s state legislature is holding a special session on the redistricting issue, potentially giving the Republicans an additional 11 total new seats if Missouri’s map stays in place. 

Democrats in California responded by redrawing their own maps for five additional blue seats, joining Virginia (+2-4 D) to mitigate the GOP’s efforts. Liberals also gained a seat in Utah after a judge tossed out a gerrymandered map skewed in favor of the GOP.