Virginia’s redistricting referendum still sparking fierce partisan debate – WTOP News

Supporters say the temporary map would counter political influence from outside states, while critics argue it amounts to extreme gerrymandering and undermines a voter‑approved redistricting commission.

WTOP’s Nick Iannelli speaks with Virginia’s Scott Surovell and Jason Miyares on the congressional redistricting referendum in April

Virginia Democrats hope to redraw the state’s congressional map, a move that has garnered some serious partisan reactions.

On the ballot during the April 21 special election is a question asking residents whether the Commonwealth’s constitution should be amended to allow the Virginia General Assembly to adopt new congressional districts — a mid-decade plan that’s been spearheaded by Democrats to secure more seats in the U.S. House during the November midterm elections.

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, a Democrat representing part of Fairfax County, said he thinks the referendum will pass, but told WTOP’s Nick Iannelli, “It’s going to be close.”

“It’s not going to be a blowout like the last governor’s race was, but I think it’s definitely going to pass,” Surovell said.

He noted the move came after President Donald Trump pushed Texas Republicans to redraw the state’s maps in favor of GOP candidates in 2025.

“I think a lot of Virginians are fed up with the way Donald Trump is trying to rig democracy in our country, and I think they support a temporary solution to make sure we have balance in Washington,” Surovell said.

If it passes, Democrats could have an advantage in as many as 10 of the state’s 11 districts.

He said the goal of the referendum, which received the support of the Virginia Supreme Court last month, is to give Virginians the “opportunity to push back” on Trump’s “unchecked power.”

The temporarily redrawn map, Surovell said, will expire in 2031.

Virginia Democrats’ proposed 10-D, 1-R congressional districts map preserves the broad outlines of some existing districts but redistributes how the population is grouped across much of the state. (Courtesy Virginia Mercury/Virginia Legislative Information System)

Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, however, has been a staunch opponent of the referendum and overall push for redistricting.

“I think there’s an enormous amount of anger in Virginia that you have a bunch of self-serving politicians that have gone into a back room and drew a map that serves politicians — doesn’t serve Virginians — and tries to silence the voices of millions of Virginians,” he told WTOP.

He thinks the referendum will fail, citing the claims of a “fundamentally dishonest political campaign” from lawmakers in favor of the redistricting plan.

“They’re not telling Virginians that, if this passes, it will be the single most gerrymandered map in the entire country,” Miyares said. “There’s a lot they’re not telling Virginians.”

Miyares noted that, in 2020, voters approved an amendment to the Constitution of Virginia by 61% to establish a redistricting commission made up of eight members of the General Assembly and eight citizens.

“We go from having a constitutional amendment in 2020, that was approved by two thirds of voters in a presidential cycle with close to 70% voter participation, to now they’re putting in an April referendum — where maybe we’ll have 20% voter turnout. It’s the opposite of what good government and the opposite of what democracy is supposed to look like,” he said.

Miyares said Democrats did not get sufficient public input on the redrawn maps, and they decided to hold the referendum in April, “when, just by nature, people aren’t thinking of campaigns,” instead of November.

Early voting is underway in Virginia until April 18. Election day for the referendum is April 21.

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