Virginia Dems flay ruling on redistricting referendum

The ruling came after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved referendum tied to congressional redistricting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Ghazala Hashmi/ Suhas Subramanyam / File Photo

Virginia Democrats on May 8 criticized the Supreme Court of Virginia’s decision invalidating the results of the state’s redistricting referendum, calling the ruling a setback for voting rights and democratic representation.

Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi condemned the court’s 4-3 ruling, arguing that it overturned the will of Virginia voters who had backed the referendum.

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In a statement, Hashmi said millions of Virginians participated in the democratic process “in good faith” and warned that the decision came at a time when voting rights were under pressure nationally.

“At a moment when voting rights are under sustained attack across the country, the Supreme Court’s decision sends a deeply troubling message,” Hashmi said. “Across the nation, we are witnessing a systematic dismantling of electoral integrity, all for the sake of partisan advantage.”

Hashmi linked the ruling to broader national debates over voting access and congressional redistricting, criticizing what she described as partisan efforts to redraw maps without voter input.

“Now, in a 4-3 decision, the Supreme Court of Virginia has told voters in the Commonwealth that their voices can simply be discarded,” she said. “These actions disenfranchise voters and weaken the very principles of our country.”

She also said Virginia “must remain committed to an electoral system that puts people before politics” and protects the right of citizens to participate fully in the democratic process.

Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who represents Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, also criticized the ruling in a statement released from Washington.

“Millions of Virginians and two General Assemblies made their voice heard and voted for redistricting in Virginia to even the playing field this November,” Subramanyam said. “But a partisan Virginia Supreme Court decided it knew better and, in a deeply flawed decision with tortured logic, decided to overturn the direct voice of millions of Virginians.”

He contrasted the ruling with Republican-led redistricting efforts in other states and accused conservative judges of attempting to “rig the system to evade accountability.”

“Disenfranchised Virginians and Americans will remember this when they make their voice heard this November,” he said.

The reactions came after the Supreme Court of Virginia, in a 4-3 ruling issued on May 8, invalidated the results of the redistricting referendum approved by voters earlier this year.

The referendum would have allowed Virginia Democrats to redraw congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections by temporarily shifting redistricting authority back to the Virginia General Assembly. Proposed maps were projected to favor Democrats in 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts.

The court ruled that lawmakers failed to follow constitutional procedures because the amendment process moved forward after early voting had already begun during the 2025 election cycle, leaving the current congressional map in place for the 2026 elections.

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Comments

JD

James DURAISWAMY

2026-05-11 00:00:00

Subject: A Condemnation of the Virginia Supreme Court and State Leadership

Why should we condemn the Supreme Court of Virginia? Because the individuals running Virginia broke the law and worked against their own Constitution. Only a Democrat could blame someone else for their own problems. How did these fools get into office, take an oath to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and the United States, and then bypass the requirements regarding gerrymandering just to kick Republicans out of the process?

Furthermore, this person, Hashmi, does not know what they are talking about. They misled Virginians by claiming they acted in good faith. Do you know what the law actually says? This is why the action was struck down: Virginia’s Constitution requires that a proposed amendment be approved before ballots are printed and mailed.

In this case:

The General Assembly approved the amendment after more than one million early ballots had already been cast.

This meant voters were not given proper notice of what they were voting on.

The Court ruled that this violated the Constitution’s procedural safeguards.

I lived in Virginia for almost 46 years, but I fled the Commonwealth because it has become a hangout for Marxists and communists from other states. Look at the Governor—an uber-far-left fool. They did not want the people to know the real facts of redistricting, so they used incredibly vague language; it's a typical Democrat playbook.

I feel so sorry for this state. It was one of the greatest places to live 15 years ago, but now it is a mess of the highest order. People need to wake up. If you have one-party rule in any state, you will become like NYC or California, run by hypocrites and liars.