The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Wednesday filed a lawsuit in Virginia to block a controversial special referendum scheduled for April that would alter the state constitution to permit mid-decade redistricting — something opponents call a blatant partisan power grab.
Filed in the Circuit Court of Tazewell County, the RNC’s complaint seeks both emergency injunctive relief and a declaratory judgment to halt the April 21 vote. The suit argues that Democrats in Richmond violated the Virginia Constitution’s amendment process by failing to pass the measure in two separate legislative sessions with an intervening election, as required by law. Under that constitutional rule, a proposed amendment must be approved in a previous general election cycle before being put to voters again.
RNC officials, joined by the National Republican Congressional Committee and Virginia GOP Representatives Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith, contend that the ballot language and legislative process fall short of constitutional standards and mislead voters about the true nature of the change.
RNC Chair Joe Gruters said the move by Democrats amounts to a rush to seize power and undermine Virginians’ rights, accusing state leaders of ignoring the constitution, misleading voters, and orchestrating a “sham election.”
The lawsuit also challenges the special law allocating $5 million for the election and setting early voting to begin March 6 — before what the plaintiffs argue is the proper constitutional timeline. According to the complaint, the proposed amendment would strip power from the nonpartisan Redistricting Commission voters approved in a 2020 amendment, handing authority back to the Democrat-controlled General Assembly.
Democratic leaders have promoted the measure as a step to “restore fairness” to congressional maps, contending that the change would address imbalances and better reflect evolving demographics. But Republicans warn that the proposal could dramatically shift control of Virginia’s U.S. House delegation, potentially flipping Republicans out of key seats and strengthening Democratic majorities nationally.
The legal battle in Virginia reflects broader national tensions over redistricting and the integrity of electoral processes in advance of closely contested midterm elections.
