s redistricting fight is racing toward the states highest court after a county judge blocked certification of a narrowly approved ballot measure on Wednesday that would dramatically reshape the state’s congressional map in favor of Democrats and potentially impact control of Congress.
Longtime Del. Terry Kilgore, the Republican leader of the Virginia House, told Fox News Digital state Democrats unlawfully forced through the mid-decade redraw to give themselves a 10-1 advantage, saying he was “irritated” by what he viewed as unprecedented partisanship.
“This is Virginia. We normally get along, normally go through things the right way,” Kilgore said. “I’ve been here over 30 years. ⦠I’ve never seen anything like this so partisan since I’ve been here, and it was a very sad day for the Commonwealth.”
He noted the pressure the state Supreme Court, which leans slightly conservative, is now under to address the polarizing election issue, saying he believed it would be struck down.
“I think if they follow the law, they will definitely strike this down and have it null and void, so we’re optimistic,” Kilgore said.
More than three million Virginians turned out to vote on the high-profile, multimillion-dollar redistricting effort, by a slim margin of 51.5% to 48.5%, which Kilgore said was representative of Virginia’s purple, rather than blue, political landscape.
“They thought we were going to lose by 15 points, and that would make their argument that Virginia is a 10-1 state,” Kilgore said. “Of course it was like at 2% and that shows you how close Virginia really is, that we are a 6-5 state, and we actually won some of the districts that they have redrawn. This is just a power grab. That’s all you can say, a power grab by the national Democrats.”
Wednesday’s decision by Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley to block certification of the results stemmed from Republican National Committee v. Koski, one of multiple lawsuits challenging the redistricting referendum as unconstitutional and unlawful.
The question that appeared on the ballot on April 21 asked voters if they wanted to approve a new congressional map that would “restore fairness” in elections.
The question was reflective of comments by Virginia House of Delegates Democratic leader , who said in February the amendment was “about leveling the playing field across the country. Republicans are gerrymandering maps to override the will of the voters,” Scott said, noting Texas, North Carolina and Missouri, while leaving out Democrat-friendly mid-cycle redistricting in California and Utah. Scott claimed a “10-1 map levels the playing field.”Â
Newly elected Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger previously vowed to leave Virginia’s maps to the redistricting commission but has faced “bait-and-switch” accusations for reversing that stance and signing the amendment, saying it was a temporary response to President Donald Trump’s insertion into redistricting fights.
Hurley in his decision cited procedural failures in how the legislature advanced the amendment and “misleading” ballot language that he said improperly influenced voters. Attorney General Jay Jones, an elected Democrat, said an appeal was imminent.
“Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote. We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court,” Jones said Wednesday.
The Tazewell decision came after the same judge, Hurley, had previously ruled against Democrats in another, similar lawsuit brought by Republican state lawmakers over the amendment.
Hurley initially blocked the referendum vote from even movin
