The Virginia Supreme Court barred an aggressive gerrymander of the state’s congressional map, ruling that the Democratic legislature violated the state constitution in the manner it advanced a proposed constitutional amendment to authorize mid-decade redistricting.
The court’s 4-3 decision, released Friday, nullifies an April 21 statewide vote that narrowly adopted an amendment to temporarily allow new House maps favoring Democrats in 10 of 11 districts. It’s a blow to Democratic efforts to counteract Republicans in an intensifying redistricting war with control of the tightly divided House at stake.
The court’s decision restores Virginia’s more politically competitive maps it adopted ...