‘Unfair advantage’
The pro-redistricting campaign, Virginians for Fair Elections, has raised the lion’s share — nearly $65 million, according to The Hill.
Former president Barack Obama, still one of the Democratic Party’s most influential campaign voices, has urged Virginians to vote yes.
“By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms… And we’re counting on you,” he said in a video message.
Democrats argue that the Virginia map is a necessary counterweight to Trump’s pressure campaign. Republicans call it a naked power grab in a politically mixed state where Trump took 46 percent of the vote in 2024.
US Congresswoman Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican whose district could be affected, told ABC News that forcing the measure through would “come back to bite” Democrats.
Nearly 1.4 million Virginians already had their say before Tuesday, with early and absentee voting data cited by The Hill giving Democrats a sizable advantage.
But recent polling suggests supporters hold only a narrow edge, and University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato cautioned that the outcome was not guaranteed.
“To get 10 out of 11 seats is not easy, even with Virginia leaning more Democratic,” he told the AFP news agency. “And of late… it hasn’t been as Democratic as it had been previously.”
Victory in the referendum, which closes at 7:00 pm, would boost House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has spearheaded efforts to counter Trump-backed maps in Republican states.
Defeat would be damaging, particularly for Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, whose approval ratings have dipped as she champions the plan.
The result will also shape the final phase of the national map fight. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is pushing a special session that could allow Republicans to gain as many as five seats, potentially wiping out any Democratic gains in Virginia.
