Virginia Democrats Call Special Session on Redistricting

Virginia lawmakers will convene a special legislative session starting Monday to consider mid-decade redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Democratic leaders, who control the state legislature despite Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, are weighing a private plan that could flip two to three of Virginia’s 11 U.S. House seats, though no specific maps have been released. Democrats frame the move as a response to Republican-led redraws in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina — efforts backed by former President Donald Trump — and note similar countermeasures by California Democrats. Republicans and some GOP candidates have called the timing a “desperate power grab” that injects uncertainty into Virginia’s closely watched governor’s race and has disrupted campaigns. Democratic strategists and the DCCC say preserving the option to redraw maps is critical to protecting competitive districts and contesting nationwide attempts to entrench partisan control ahead of 2026.