U.S. House Control

A Tazewell Circuit Court judge, Jack Hurley Jr., voided a proposed mid‑decade constitutional amendment that would have allowed Democrats to redraw Virginia’s U.S. House maps, finding the Democratic‑led General Assembly improperly added the measure during a budget‑focused special session without the unanimous‑consent/supermajority its rules require and failed to meet statutory publication and three‑month pre‑election timing requirements. Hurley also held that the 2025 House election had effectively begun when early voting started—making subsequent legislative votes ineffective—issued injunctions blocking further action, and the pro‑amendment group Virginians for Fair Elections said it will appeal, accusing Republicans of court‑shopping.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a Supreme Court brief siding with California Republicans and asking the court to block Proposition 50’s mid‑decade congressional map, arguing at least one district (CA‑13) was drawn on the basis of race to boost Latino voting power and that the map is therefore an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The move follows a 2–1 federal panel ruling that upheld the voter‑approved Prop 50 map as a partisan (not racial) gerrymander—authorizing its use while litigation continues—and sets up an appeal to the Supreme Court as candidates prepare to file for 2026 races.