Abigail Spanberger, governor-elect of Virginia, during an inauguration ceremony at Capitol Square in Richmond, Virginia, on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. Democrat Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia on Saturday, becoming the state's first female leader. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But the proposed map in Virginia, which the Democrat-controlled legislature is expected to give final approval in the coming days, followed by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signing it, still needs the approval of voters in the Commonwealth.
Republicans had challenged the validity of the referendum, arguing that Democrats had erred procedurally when the legislature approved amendments to the state Constitution. And last month, a lower court ruled in the GOP's favor.
But the ruling by the state supreme court greenlights the ballot measure, which asks voters to give the legislature, rather than Virginia's current non-partisan commission, redistricting power through the 2030 election.
"Today’s order is a huge win for Virginia voters," Dan Gottlieb, spokesperson for Democrat-aligned Virginians for Fair Elections, said in a statement. "The Court made it clear that nothing in this case stops the April 21 referendum from moving forward and that Virginians will have the final say."
Early voting on the referendum is scheduled to start on March 6.
Friday's ruling on the referendum doesn't mean the legal challenges are over. Democrats are still defending their ability to redraw the maps, and the state Supreme Court may schedule arguments in that case.
Republicans charge that the Democrats' redistricting effort is an "unconstitutional power grab."
Virginians for Fair Maps, a Republican-aligned group that opposes the redistricting push, has highlighted that "Virginians came together to pass bipartisan redistricting reform — a process that took the power to draw maps out of politicians’ hands. Now, politicians in Richmond want to undo that progress."
And the Republican National Committee has called the Democrats' push in Virginia a "power grab."
But Democrats have countered that it's a necessary step to balance out partisan gerrymandering already implemented in other states by the GOP.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an election night press conference at a California Democratic Party office Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Sacramento, after passage of a congressional redistricting referendum. (Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)
California voters in November overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative that temporarily sidetracked the left-leaning state's nonpartisan redistricting commission and returned the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature.
That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw their maps.
The fight quickly spread beyond Texas and California.
Republican-controlled Missouri and Ohio, and swing state North Carolina, where the GOP dominates the legislature, have drawn new maps as part of the president's push.
In blows to Republicans, a Utah district judge late last year rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state's GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the midterms.
But Utah Republicans have appealed to the state Supreme Court to block a new court-ordered map for this year's elections.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has called a special session of the legislature in April to handle mid-decade congressional redistricting. (AP/Rebecca Blackwell)
Democrats in solidly blue Maryland are also pushing redistricting, which could result in one extra left-leaning congressional seat. But the effort, pushed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore and green-lighted by state House Democrats, is facing opposition from Senate President Bill Ferguson, a fellow Democrat.
Lastly, Republicans in South Carolina, Nebraska, Kansas and New Hampshire, and Democrats in Illinois and Washington State are also exploring possible bids to redraw the maps.
Hovering over the redistricting wars is the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in Louisiana v. Callais, a crucial case that may lead to the overturning of a key provision in the Voting Rights Act.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
If the ruling goes the way of the conservatives on the high court, it could lead to the redrawing of a slew of majority-minority districts across the county, which would greatly favor Republicans.
But it is very much up in the air — when the court will rule, and what it will actually do.
Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/battle-house-runs-through-virginia-court-oks-high-stakes-redistricting-vote