House Democrats were banking on a Virginia referendum to help deliver them the House majority in 2027, but the Virginia Supreme Court struck a blow to their efforts, dealing a significant setback to both Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D., Va.) and to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D., N.Y.).
Had Spanberger’s gerrymander taken effect, the House Freedom Caucus (HFC) was poised to lose one of its members: Rep. Ben Cline (R., Va.). Rep. Morgan Griffith (R., Va.), Virginia’s other HFC member, had a safe GOP seat under the now-rejected gerrymander, but he could have lost four of his colleagues.
Cline, who is unlikely to face serious opposition in November following the court ruling, called it “the correct decision, and it was always going to end up this way.”
“Democrats broke laws that they helped write in the first place, blew through deadlines, wrote a biased and misleading ballot question, and lied to the voters in all of their advertising to support the referendum,” Cline added. “The voters of Virginia banned gerrymandering six years ago, and that ban remains in effect today. This is a great day for fair elections and the rule of law, and it’s a great day for the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Both Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia’s former GOP Attorney General, and Jason Miyares, the Commonwealth’s most recent former Attorney General, repeatedly cautioned that Virginia’s top court would rule against the referendum.
“The Supreme Court of Virginia decided a case of first impression,” Griffith, a longtime lawyer, added. “I believe they decided correctly and set aside the redistricting efforts by the state legislature. I commend the Supreme Court for its diligence and fortitude. I look forward to continuing to serve the people of the Ninth Congressional District of Virginia.”
Following the Supreme Court of Virginia’s ruling, Reps. Jen Kiggans (R., Va.) and Rob Wittman (R., Va.) remain in tight races. The Republican Party’s top target in Virginia will remain Rep. Eugene Vindman (D., Va.), who narrowly defeated Derrick Anderson in 2024.
