Redistricting in Virginia ahead of the 2026 elections
Virginia is considering mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections. Click here to read more about the ongoing redistricting effort in Virginia and other states.
Redistricting is the process of enacting new district boundaries for elected offices, particularly for offices in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures. This article covers redistricting activity in Virginia after the 2024 elections and before the 2026 elections.
Virginia's 11 United States representatives and 140 state legislators are all elected from political divisions called districts. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. Federal law stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
Congressional districts
Mid-decade redistricting in Virginia ahead of the 2026 elections is ongoing.
On October 27, 2025, the Virginia General Assembly adopted a resolution that would allow the legislature to consider a constitutional amendment for mid-decade redistricting.[1] On October 29, 2025, the Virginia House of Delegates voted 51-42 along party lines to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its congressional lines.[2] The Virginia Senate followed with a 21-16 party-line vote on October 31, 2025.[3] Constitutional amendments must pass the legislature in two consecutive sessions before being placed on the ballot for voters.
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously approved congressional maps for the state on December 28, 2021.[4] The Virginia Redistricting Commission released two statewide congressional map proposals on October 14, 2021, and another on October 15, 2021.[5] After the commission missed its deadline for approving map proposals and the Virginia Supreme Court assumed authority over the process, the two special masters selected by the court released proposals for congressional districts on December 8, 2021.[6]
Click here for more information about the congressional maps enacted in Virginia after the 2020 census.
Legislative districts
State legislative redistricting in Virginia after the 2020 census has concluded.
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously approved district maps for the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia State Senate on December 28, 2021.[7] Democratic and Republican consultants submitted statewide map proposals for consideration to the Virginia Redistricting Commission on September 18, 2021.[8] The commission had reviewed earlier maps on August 31, 2021, that were focused solely on suburbs in northern Virginia that were drawn from scratch and did not consider legislative incumbents’ home addresses in keeping with earlier commission decisions.[9][10] After the commission missed its deadline for approving map proposals and the Virginia Supreme Court assumed authority over the process, the two special masters selected by the court released proposals for House and Senate districts on December 8, 2021.[11]These maps took effect for Virginia's 2023 legislative elections.
Click here for more information about the state legislative maps enacted in Virginia after the 2020 census.
For a complete overview of redistricting in Virginia after the 2020 census, click here.
Summary
This section lists major events in the post-2020 census redistricting cycle in reverse chronological order. Major events include the release of apportionment data, the release of census population data, the introduction of formal map proposals, the enactment of new maps, and noteworthy court challenges. Click the dates below for additional information.
- October 31, 2025: The Virginia House of Delegates voted 21-16 to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its congressional lines.[3]
- October 29, 2025: The Virginia House of Delegates voted 51-42 to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its congressional lines.[2]
- October 27, 2025: The Virginia General Assembly adopted House Resolution 6006 which would allow the legislature to consider a constitutional amendment for mid-decade congressional redistricting.
Court challenges
For more information about redistricting lawsuits in Virginia, click here.
Enacted maps
Enacted congressional district maps
On October 27, 2025, the Virginia General Assembly adopted a resolution that would allow the legislature to consider a constitutional amendment for mid-decade redistricting.[1] On October 29, 2025, the Virginia House of Delegates voted 51-42 along party lines to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to redraw its congressional lines.[2] The Virginia Senate followed with a 21-16 party-line vote on October 31, 2025.[3] Constitutional amendments must pass the legislature in two consecutive sessions before being placed on the ballot for voters.
The Virginia Supreme Court had unanimously approved congressional maps for the state on December 28, 2021.[12] The Virginia Redistricting Commission released two statewide congressional map proposals on October 14, 2021, and another on October 15, 2021.[13] After the commission missed its deadline for approving map proposals and the Virginia Supreme Court assumed authority over the process, the two special masters selected by the court released proposals for congressional districts on December 8, 2021.[14]
Enacted state legislative district maps
The Virginia Supreme Court unanimously approved district maps for the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia State Senate on December 28, 2021.[15] Democratic and Republican consultants submitted statewide map proposals for consideration to the Virginia Redistricting Commission on September 18, 2021.[16] The commission had reviewed earlier maps on August 31, 2021, that were focused solely on suburbs in northern Virginia that were drawn from scratch and did not consider legislative incumbents’ home addresses in keeping with earlier commission decisions.[17][18] After the commission missed its deadline for approving map proposals and the Virginia Supreme Court assumed authority over the process, the two special masters selected by the court released proposals for House and Senate districts on December 8, 2021.[19]These maps took effect for Virginia's 2023 legislative elections.
See also
- Redistricting in Virginia after the 2020 census
- Redistricting in Virginia after the 2010 census
- Redistricting in Virginia
- State-by-state redistricting procedures
- Majority-minority districts
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- All About Redistricting
- Dave's Redistricting
- FiveThirtyEight, "What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State"
- National Conference of State Legislatures, "Redistricting Process"
- FairVote, "Redistricting"
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Virginia General Assembly, "HJ6006," accessed October 27, 2025
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Hill ,"Virginia Democrats advance redistricting amendment," October 30, 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Virginia Mercury, "Virginia Senate approves mid-decade redistricting amendment in party-line vote," October 31, 2025
- ↑ 13News Now, "Virginia has new voting maps after redistricting process finishes," December 30, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Redistricting, "Congressional," accessed October 19, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "Proposed congressional maps give Dems an edge in Virginia," December 9, 2021
- ↑ 13News Now, "Virginia has new voting maps after redistricting process finishes," December 30, 2021
- ↑ ABC 7, "Virginia bipartisan redistricting panel starts off with partisan maps," September 20, 2021
- ↑ El Paso Inc., "First redistricting map drafts leave some lawmakers unhappy," September 2, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Mercury, "Virginia’s Redistricting Commission has its first draft maps. They look… normal?" September 2, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "Proposed congressional maps give Dems an edge in Virginia," December 9, 2021
- ↑ 13News Now, "Virginia has new voting maps after redistricting process finishes," December 30, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Redistricting, "Congressional," accessed October 19, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "Proposed congressional maps give Dems an edge in Virginia," December 9, 2021
- ↑ 13News Now, "Virginia has new voting maps after redistricting process finishes," December 30, 2021
- ↑ ABC 7, "Virginia bipartisan redistricting panel starts off with partisan maps," September 20, 2021
- ↑ El Paso Inc., "First redistricting map drafts leave some lawmakers unhappy," September 2, 2021
- ↑ Virginia Mercury, "Virginia’s Redistricting Commission has its first draft maps. They look… normal?" September 2, 2021
- ↑ Associated Press, "Proposed congressional maps give Dems an edge in Virginia," December 9, 2021
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