A county judge in Virginia has blocked voters from deciding whether Democrats can redraw the state’s congressional map to counter mid-decade partisan GOP gerrymanders in other states.
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr., who was appointed by former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R), granted a motion that the Republican National Committee (RNC) filed the previous day.
Hurley’s order, which he initially issued from the bench during an emergency hearing Thursday, marks the latest development in the Democrats’ attempt to pass a constitutional amendment that would allow the Virginia General Assembly to redraw congressional districts if other states engage in mid-decade redistricting.
Democrats pursued the amendment in response to nationwide Republican gerrymanders initiated by President Donald Trump, who is seeking to stem GOP losses in the 2026 midterms.
A Democratic redraw in Virginia could give the party as many as four new congressional seats.
After passing Virginia’s Democratic-controlled legislature last month, the amendment must now be approved by a majority of Virginia voters. The referendum vote is scheduled to take place on April 21, though early voting would begin in early March.
Joined by the National Republican Congressional Committee and two GOP members of Congress, the RNC claimed in its lawsuit Wednesday that the amendment was unconstitutional and the ballot question for the referendum was misleading.
The quick turnaround between the RNC’s request and Hurley’s temporary restraining order wasn’t surprising.
Tazewell County is a jurisdiction heavily favored by the GOP. Hurley also declared Democrats’ special session on redistricting null and void in response to a lawsuit filed by Republican state lawmakers just last month.
In a written order following Thursday’s hearing, Hurley barred state officials from “administering, preparing for, taking any action to further the procedure of the referendum, or otherwise moving forward with causing an election to be held on the proposed constitutional amendment.”
However, Hurley was quickly overruled by the Virginia Supreme Court, which said that the redistricting vote could go forward.
Democrats slammed Hurley’s previous ruling as being the product of court-shopping.
So far, the GOP has redrawn congressional maps to favor Republicans in Texas, Ohio, Missouri and North Carolina. The party is also pursuing redistricting in Florida and potentially other states.