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Virginia Democrats Pass New Political Map to Combat Trump—But Court Battles Continue
"Virginia has to fight back," said state House Speaker Don Scott. "We can't stand by and do nothing but to do everything in our power to level the playing field."
Feb 20, 2026
Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly on Friday passed a new potential congressional map and a later primary date—but it came after a setback in court for a pending referendum in which voters would decide whether to redistrict to combat a national GOP gerrymandering effort launched last year by Republican President Donald Trump.
After advancing in a 21-18 Virginia Senate vote on Thursday, HB29 was approved by the House of Delegates 59-35, with five Democrats not voting. The bill still needs a signature from Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, but VPM reported that House Speaker Don Scott (D-80) expects her to sign it as soon as Saturday, or by Monday at the latest.
"Virginia has to fight back," Scott said, accusing Trump of trying to rig the November midterm elections for the Republican Party. "We can't stand by and do nothing but to do everything in our power to level the playing field."
Spanberger—who is set to deliver Democrats' response to Trump's State of the Union speech next week—similarly said when she approved the referendum that "Virginia has the opportunity and responsibility to be responsive in the face of efforts across the country to change maps."
Trump has convinced Republicans in Texas, North Carolina, and Missouri to redraw their congressional maps in a bid to hold on to the GOP's dwindling majority in the US House of Representatives. That led to various court battles, a new voter-approved map in California crafted to benefit Democrats, and the ongoing fight for a similar one in Virginia.
If Virginia voters support Democrats' constitutional amendment to temporarily redistrict, the new map would give the party an advantage in 10 of the state's 11 congressional districts, and the June 16 primary would be delayed until August 4. However, a Thursday court order puts the referendum, scheduled for April 21, in jeopardy.
GOP-appointed Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. on Thursday granted a temporary restraining order sought by the Republican National Committee, which is challenging the state Democrats' redistricting endeavor alongside the National Republican Congressional Committee and GOP US Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith.
In a written order that followed a bench decision, the judge prohibited Virginia officials from "administering, preparing for, taking any action to further the procedure of the referendum, or otherwise moving forward with causing an election to be held on the proposed constitutional amendment" until March 18. Early voting was set to start on March 6.
Thursday was the second time that Hurley "ruled against Democrats' redistricting agenda. In January, he ruled that a resolution for a constitutional amendment was illegally passed in a special legislative session and taken up too close to an intervening election," the Associated Press noted. "That case has been appealed to the state Supreme Court, and justices had said they would allow the referendum to proceed while they review the appeal."
Democratic Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones also vowed to challenge the temporary restraining order, saying in a statement that "my office will immediately appeal the ruling issued by the Tazewell County Circuit Court. These arguments are already before the Supreme Court of Virginia, the proper forum to consider the arguments, which has set a schedule for receiving arguments and has justifiably allowed the vote to proceed during this time."
Meanwhile, in Missouri, a four-day bench trial over Republicans' gerrymandering wrapped up before the Circuit Court of Jackson County. That GOP map targets the state's 5th Congressional District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.
"Missouri's mid-decade gerrymander is a lose-lose situation for voters in Kansas City and those in smaller rural communities," said Marina Jenkins, executive director of the National Redistricting Foundation, which is supporting plaintiffs in the case. "The strategic manipulation of district lines breaks up long-standing communities and forces urban and rural communities with vastly different needs to share the same member of Congress, which will now make these communities compete for their voices to be heard in Congress."
"What's happening in Missouri is not happening in a vacuum. The national gerrymandering crisis that Donald Trump and DC Republicans started in Texas, continued in Missouri and North Carolina, and it is showing no signs of stopping at this point," she said. "No one wins this race to the bottom. Least of all the American people. This court should send a strong signal that unconstitutional gerrymanders will not be tolerated in Missouri."
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Backed by Platner Campaign, Maine Voters Reject GOP-Led Attack on Absentee Voting
"This victory belongs to the thousands of volunteers, many of them with our campaign, who left it all on the field to save absentee voting in Maine," said the US Senate candidate.
Nov 05, 2025
With 87% of the vote counted, around two-thirds of Mainers on Tuesday rejected a Republican-backed ballot measure that would have made it harder to vote absentee in a state where more than 370,000 people submitted such ballots last year—a win for democracy that came after US Senate candidate Graham Platner mobilized his supporters to campaign against the proposal.
The oyster farmer and harbormaster is one of multiple Democrats—including term-limited Gov. Janet Mills, who also opposed Question 1—running in the June primary to face longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins next November.
In the lead-up to this year's election, Platner released an animated advertisement and held a major rally in Portland against Question 1, which would have eliminated two days of absentee voting, prohibited requests for absentee ballots by phone or family members, ended ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities, banned prepaid postage on absentee ballot return envelopes, limited the number of drop boxes, and required voters to show certain photo identification.
"This victory belongs to the thousands of volunteers, many of them with our campaign, who left it all on the field to save absentee voting in Maine," Platner said on social media after the results were announced late Tuesday, confirming that they worked 2,400 canvass shifts and contacted 49,000 voters.
League of Women Voters of Maine called the outcome "a win for voting rights and for Maine voters."
"Question 1 was a voter suppression bill that would have erected unnecessary barriers to voting," said Jen Lancaster, the group's communications director. "A large number of Maine voters depend on absentee voting to cast their ballot. It's important to protect this vital service and not dismantle it piece by piece."
Mills also welcomed its defeat, saying that "once again, Maine people have affirmed their faith in our free, fair, and secure elections, in this case by rejecting a direct attempt to restrict voting rights. Maine has long had one of the highest rates of voter turnout in the nation, in good part due to safe absentee voting—and Maine people tonight have said they want to keep it that way."
The governor also opposed Question 2, the "red flag" gun law approved by about two-thirds of Mainers on Tuesday. Mills said after the election that "I sincerely hope that this measure will strengthen public safety as proponents have argued. My administration will work with law enforcement and the public to implement this new law, along with our existing extreme risk protection law, to best ensure the safety of Maine people."
Platner, a US military veteran who has taught firearms courses, publicly supported Question 2 but did not campaign for or against it. The ballot measure passed after a 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston left 18 people dead, not including the shooter, whose family, friends, and Army Reserve unit all reported concerns about his mental health and access to firearms before the massacre.
"Maine voters have taken the safety of our communities into our own hands by passing commonsense, responsible gun legislation that will save lives and help keep our kids and families safe, not just from the horrors of a tragedy like Lewiston, but from the devastating impacts of everyday gun violence," Nacole Palmer of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition said in a statement after the vote. "Despite years of opposition from the gun lobby and the politicians they back, we've shown that our movement for commonsense, responsible gun ownership is stronger."
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North Carolina GOP Plans to Rig US House Map for Trump
"These shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours," Democratic Gov. Josh Stein told voters.
Oct 13, 2025
"The General Assembly works for North Carolina, not Donald Trump."
That's how the state's Democratic governor, Josh Stein, responded on Monday after Republican legislative leaders announced plans to vote on redrawing congressional districts for the 2026 midterms to appease the president.
"The Republican leadership in the General Assembly has failed to pass a budget, failed to pay our teachers and law enforcement what they deserve, and failed to fully fund Medicaid," Stein continued. "Now they are failing you, the voters."
"These shameless politicians are abusing their power to take away yours," he added. "I will always fight for you because the voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around."
Since Texas Republican lawmakers passed and Gov. Greg Abbott signed a new congressional map gerrymandered for the GOP in August after pressure from Trump, legislators in other states have pursued similar efforts.
Some Democrats in blue states have responded with proposals to draw GOP-held districts out of existence—including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose redistricting plans are on his state's November ballot.
Newsom was also among the critics calling out North Carolina Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-26) on Monday:
As The Associated Press reported Monday:
North Carolina Republicans already created a map in 2023 that resulted in GOP candidates winning 10 of the state's 14 US House seats in 2024. That division compared to the 7-7 seat split between Democrats and the GOP under the map used in 2022.
Now, only one of the House districts—the 1st District, currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis—is considered a true swing district and could be targeted by the GOP for an 11th seat.
Former Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel, who did not seek another term in the House of Representatives after the North Carolina GOP redrew the map two years ago, slammed state lawmakers for trying to oust Davis: "I've seen this movie before—and I didn't like the ending. NC Republicans gerrymandered me out of my seat and cost Democrats control of Congress. Now they’re coming for Don Davis. They couldn't beat him at the ballot box, so they're going to cheat. That's not democracy—it's rigging the system."
Rep. Deborah Ross, one of the other three Democrats representing the state in the US House, said Monday that "for multiple election cycles, Republicans in North Carolina have used partisan gerrymandering to silence voters and manipulate their way into office. With this announcement, we have now reached a decisive turning point for our democracy—a moment when the courts and our elected representatives will need to decide whether it's acceptable for Republicans to blatantly rig elections to cement their hold on power."
"The context is critical. North Carolinians from both parties should be alarmed by credible reports that Phil Berger is pursuing redistricting as part of a corrupt bargain to secure a political endorsement from Donald Trump," she continued. "Republicans are waging a war on American voting rights because they know the truth—their policies are unpopular, their candidates are unlikable, and they can't win a majority in Congress without stacking the deck in their favor."
"Now is the time for people of good faith from both parties who care about the future of our democracy to make their voices heard. Will we allow a corrupt deal to go unchallenged? Will we allow power-hungry politicians to select their voters? Or will we stand up for the bedrock American principle that voters should be empowered to select their leaders?" she asked. "I'm committed to fighting for every North Carolinian who is tired of being silenced by Republicans in Raleigh and Washington."
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