NEW: SCOTUS Smacks Down Last-Minute Dem Redistricting Push

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday declined an emergency request from Virginia Democrats that sought to restore a narrowly approved congressional redistricting map for the November 2026 midterm elections.

The decision came in an unsigned order, with no noted dissents from the justices. This action left in place a 4-3 ruling issued by the Virginia Supreme Court on May 8, which invalidated the map on procedural grounds under state constitutional requirements.

The case involved a congressional map drawn following narrow voter approval of a constitutional amendment in an April referendum.

Virginia’s current congressional districts, established after the 2020 census, consist of 11 districts and currently favor Democrats by a 6-5 margin. The proposed new map aimed to adjust district boundaries in ways that could have increased opportunities for Democratic candidates.

The Virginia Supreme Court determined that the process used to place the constitutional amendment on the ballot did not comply with state requirements. Under Virginia law, proposed constitutional amendments related to redistricting generally must pass the General Assembly in two separate legislative sessions separated by an intervening election.

The court found that the initial passage occurred in October 2025, after early voting for that year’s elections had begun, which violated the timing rules. The ruling focused exclusively on these procedural aspects and did not evaluate the substantive fairness or partisan implications of the proposed map itself.

Following the state court decision, Democrat officials, including the state attorney general and other leaders, filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court. They argued that the Virginia Supreme Court’s interpretation raised federal questions concerning the authority of state legislatures over elections and the proper role of state courts in reviewing such matters.

Opposing briefs from Republican legislative leaders maintained that the dispute concerned only questions of state law and procedure, with no federal issues properly preserved for U.S. Supreme Court review.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s May 15 order effectively concluded the immediate challenge for the 2026 election cycle. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, stated prior to the ruling that the state would proceed with existing districts, as deadlines for implementing changes had already passed. The current map will therefore be used for the upcoming congressional elections.

This outcome fits within the U.S. Supreme Court’s handling of several recent mid-decade redistricting disputes. In other cases, the Court has allowed maps from states including Texas and California to remain in effect, generally deferring to state processes and timelines unless clear federal constitutional violations are identified.