Virginia Democrats ask state Supreme Court to halt redistricting ruling

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

05/08/26 7:28 PM ET


Virginia Democrats on Friday asked the state Supreme Court for a stay on its ruling that threw out last month’s referendum on redistricting in the commonwealth, signaling plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state, Virginia’s House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott (D) and others filed a joint motion asking the state Supreme Court to “delay issuing its mandate” on the referendum, according to a copy obtained by The Hill. It also stated that they plan to file an emergency petition to the nation’s highest court.

“Today’s action is an imperative step in the process we promised to pursue to explore every available option to restore the will of the voters. We will continue moving through that process deliberately, responsibly, and with full respect for the voters who made their voices heard,” said Rae Pickett, spokesperson for Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D), in a statement shared with The Hill.

The Virginia court on Friday had issued a ruling that quashed a new map, narrowly approved by voters in a referendum last month, that would have given Democrats as many as four new pickup opportunities ahead of the midterms.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5870634-virginia-democrats-fight-redistricting-ruling/

[Chasstev365]

1. It will be amusing and infuriating to see the Partisan Hacks in robes

Twist themselves trying to explain why Red States can gerrymander back to the Jim Crow discrimination days, but the will of the people in a Purple or Blue state in an election referendum is not allowed.

[DetroitLegalBeagle]

2. They won't explain anything

99% chance SCOTUS unanimously denies hearing it. The districts themselves weren't in question, it was the referendum process itself. Virginia's Supreme Court decided the process was not followed properly. Its highly unlikely that SCOTUS involves themselves in a State Supreme Court's interpretation of its own State Constitution.

[spooky3]

3. I agree they won't take it but I think the reason is different. SCOTUS just ruled that in Louisiana, the election

process could be interrupted and districts redesigned, even though thousands had already voted.

The primary issue in VA is whether the Nov. 2025 election occurred after the October legislative vote; the VA SC said it did not, because early voting started (the VA constitution requires an election in between the first and second legislative vote, ostensibly to give voters a chance to dump representatives with whose vote they disagreed. And, even the 2026 primary has not occurred yet.

It would be difficult for an honest, principled SCOTUS to say that it's fine that the election in Louisiana is disrupted (among more important issues), i.e., early voting doesn't matter, but the Virginia election cannot be, because early voting matters. Since we don't have that, they will likely take the easy way out.

[Deminpenn]

4. Agree and that's what happened in Pennsylvania

when Rs appealed to SCOTUS to stop the new maps imposed by the PA supreme Court in 2018 when it found the then current maps violated the Commonwealth's constitution.