Story perspectives

Virginia Democrats Ask Supreme Court to Block Redistricting Ruling

5/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Virginia Democrats petitioned the Supreme Court to block a state-court ruling that nullified their voter-approved redistricting amendment.
The Virginia Supreme Court on May 8 invalidated the amendment that would have created a new congressional map favoring Democrats.
Republican legislators and the American Center for Law & Justice filed briefs urging the Supreme Court to reject the petition, arguing no federal jurisdiction and a missed May 12 deadline.

History

Historical Context

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act on August 6 1965, imposing federal preclearance on 13 Southern states that covered roughly 2.5 million minority voters. Decades later, Virginia Democrats filed a 2024 petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, joined by Republican legislators, challenging a state-court decision that struck down a redistricting amendment and testing the Act’s lingering oversight role.

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Story summary

Virginia Democrats petitioned the Supreme Court to block a state-court ruling that nullified their voter-approved redistricting amendment.
The Virginia Supreme Court on May 8 invalidated the amendment that would have created a new congressional map favoring Democrats.
Republican legislators and the American Center for Law & Justice filed briefs urging the Supreme Court to reject the petition, arguing no federal jurisdiction and a missed May 12 deadline.

1 / 2