The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday rejected an attempt by Virginia Democrats to revive their new congressional map, which was struck down earlier this year for violating the state constitution. The decision comes after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled 4-3 in May that the process leading up to the referendum approving the map had been legally flawed.
In a brief order issued without dissent, the U.S. Supreme Court left intact the Virginia high court’s ruling, effectively killing any chances of using the new voting boundaries for this year's midterm elections. “The decision leaves in place a Virginia Supreme Court ruling that concluded the process leading up to a referendum approving a new map was flawed,” said Lawrence Hurley from NBC News.
Virginia Democrats had argued that the state court improperly overrode the will of voters who approved the amendment and claimed the ruling relied on an overly broad interpretation of election law by counting the start of early voting as part of the election itself. “The justices denied Democrats’ emergency request to block the Virginia high court’s decision, which found the procedural defect 'incurably taints the resulting referendum vote,'” reported Fox News.
Republican state leaders had tried to expel Democratic lawmakers during their fight over redistricting last year, but the court said it was not necessary. The rejection of this latest bid marks a significant setback for Democrats aiming to gain an advantage in upcoming elections by altering district lines that could have helped them pick up up to four House seats.
Virginia’s Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) expressed her frustration with the Supreme Court's decision, stating, “The Supreme Court of the United States has now joined the Supreme Court of Virginia in choosing to nullify an election and the votes.” This is part of a broader mid-decade redistricting fight that intensified after recent high court rulings weakened the Voting Rights Act.
With this latest ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, Virginia will proceed with 2026 elections under its current congressional districts. The decision underscores ongoing tensions in state and federal courts over how electoral maps are drawn and who has the final say on their validity.
This article was produced by AVALW News on Saturday, May 16, 2026 based on reporting from 8 verified news sources. Our editorial process cross-references facts from multiple independent outlets to deliver accurate, comprehensive coverage. All original sources are linked below.