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ICYMI: Entire Virginia House Democratic Delegation Endorses Vote YES to Level the Playing Field

Richmond, Va. — As Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans push mid-decade redistricting schemes across the country to lock in power before voters can weigh in, every Democratic member of Virginia’s U.S. House delegation has now endorsed a YES vote on the April 21 redistricting referendum.

In a joint letter released last week, all six Virginia Representatives made clear: this temporary, emergency amendment puts the decision where it belongs — in the hands of voters, not politicians — and ensures transparency and accountability at a moment when the integrity of the 2026 midterms is under direct threat.

The amendment would take effect for the 2026 election cycle and automatically sunset after the 2030 census, when Virginia’s independent redistricting system resumes. On April 21, Virginians will have the final say — and Virginia Democrats are united in standing up for fair elections.

Read some of the latest coverage below:

Punchbowl News: Virginia Dems back new map

  • All six House Democrats in Virginia’s congressional delegation are endorsing the legislature’s proposed redistricting plan ahead of the April 21 referendum.
  • Reps. Don Beyer, Eugene Vindman, Jennifer McClellan, James Walkinshaw, Suhas Subramanyam and Bobby Scott signed a letter urging voters in the commonwealth to support the constitutional amendment that would allow the Virginia legislature to redraw their districts.

The Hill: Virginia Democrats in House backing redistricting proposal

  • The legislators noted that the amendment is “not a permanent change” and will expire in 2030.
  • The group criticized new maps in states such as North Carolina and Texas, which favor Republicans, saying these changes are “part of a broader pattern” of the Trump administration acting in ways that “abuse its power and avoid accountability.”
  • “That is the reality facing Virginia,” the legislators wrote. “As the elected representatives of communities across this Commonwealth, we cannot ignore what it means for the millions of people we serve.”

CBS19 [Charlottesville]: Democratic representatives call on voters to support temporary redistricting effort

  • “Mid-decade redistricting at the direction of a president is unprecedented in modern American politics,” wrote the Virginia Democrats in their letter. 
  • Virginians now face a choice: do nothing while our voice in Congress is overridden by the schemes in MAGA-controlled states, or respond with a temporary, voter-approved step to level the playing field and ensure the nationwide map is not structurally rigged ahead of the 2026 election.”

Washington Examiner: Virginia’s congressional Democrats back redistricting plan

  • In an April 21 special election, voters will decide whether to grant the Democratic-controlled state legislature the power temporarily to draw the congressional map. 
  • “The real solution remains a nationwide ban on partisan gerrymandering — applied equally across all 50 states. We will keep fighting for that reform in Congress” 
  • “But until Republicans are willing to join that effort, states cannot be expected to sit idly by while the rules are manipulated elsewhere. That is why we support a Yes vote on the upcoming Virginia referendum”

Blue Virginia: All Six Democrats in Virginia’s U.S. House Delegation: “Trump is trying to tilt the House before voters ever cast a ballot. Virginia must respond.”

  • Across the country, Americans of all backgrounds say they want elections that are fair, transparent, and accountable. One reform consistently commands overwhelming public support: a nationwide ban on partisan gerrymandering.
  • Every Democratic member of Virginia’s congressional delegation supports that reform. We have voted for it, spoken out for it, and in 2021, a majority of House Democrats supported it as part of H.R. 1 
  • But Republicans voted against it. Republicans unanimously said no to a national ban on gerrymandering in favor of maintaining their ability to entrench their power.

Virginians are ready to stand up to Donald Trump and vote YES by April 21.