Virginia Judge Strikes Down Redistricting Amendment

A Virginia judge on Tuesday struck down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the state's Democratic-controlled legislature to redraw congressional district maps, dealing a setback to efforts to reshape the battleground for U.S. House races this November.

Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. ruled the amendment invalid on multiple grounds, including violations of state law requiring such proposals to be passed and published by the clerk's office at least three months before a general election. Lawmakers had advanced the mid-decade redistricting resolution in October, less than a week before statewide races. The judge also found that the legislature failed to follow its own procedural rules when adding the amendment to a special session and did not approve it before voters began casting ballots in the previous year's general election. In his order, Hurley described the addition to the special session as a "blatant abuse of power," rendering the amendment void.

The ruling came in response to a legal challenge from opponents of the measure, which supporters argued would enable fairer representation amid shifting population trends. The Democratic-led...