A Virginia judge has temporarily blocked a voter referendum that would allow Democrats to redraw congressional maps, putting their redistricting efforts on hold. This ruling could significantly impact the Democrats’ chances of gaining additional U.S. House seats in the upcoming elections.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia court on Thursday effectively blocked Democrats’ planned April voter referendum to redraw the state’s congressional maps, another potentially devastating blow to the party’s effort to pick up four more U.S. House seats in the national redistricting battle.
Virginia Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones has already vowed to appeal the ruling by a Tazewell Circuit Court, which granted a temporary restraining order requested by the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee. The plaintiffs argue that the ballot referendum’s timing and phrasing are illegal.