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Virginia Democrats ask state Supreme Court to halt redistricting ruling

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by Julia Mueller - 05/08/26 7:28 PM ET

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by Julia Mueller - 05/08/26 7:28 PM ET

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Virginia Democrats on Friday asked the state Supreme Court for a stay on its ruling that threw out last month’s referendum on redistricting in the commonwealth, signaling plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The state, Virginia’s House of Delegates Speaker Don Scott (D) and others filed a joint motion asking the state Supreme Court to “delay issuing its mandate” on the referendum, according to a copy obtained by The Hill. It also stated that they plan to file an emergency petition to the nation’s highest court.

“Today’s action is an imperative step in the process we promised to pursue to explore every available option to restore the will of the voters. We will continue moving through that process deliberately, responsibly, and with full respect for the voters who made their voices heard,” said Rae Pickett, spokesperson for Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D), in a statement shared with The Hill.

The Virginia court on Friday had issued a ruling that quashed a new map, narrowly approved by voters in a referendum last month, that would have given Democrats as many as four new pickup opportunities ahead of the midterms.

The decision is a setback for Democrats as they fight to flip the House this fall and offset expected gains from GOP-friendly redistricting in other red states across the country.

“Virginia voters were with us! This is not the time to despair — this is the time to keep fighting. Keep your head up and keep moving forward. One battle at a time, one fight after another. We’ve come too far to stop now,” Scott had said on X after the ruling.

Jones had said in a release earlier on Friday that his team was “carefully reviewing this unprecedented order” and “evaluating every legal pathway forward to defend the will of the people and protect the integrity of Virginia’s elections.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the decision “an unprecedented and undemocratic action that cannot stand,” and vowed that “we are exploring all options to overturn this shocking decision.”

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