A Virginia judge has dealt a significant setback to Democrats and their effort to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. granted an emergency injunction blocking the planned April referendum on redistricting while the case moves through court channels.
Democrats aim to pass a congressional map that would secure four additional U.S. House seats in Virginia. However, Virginia Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones has vowed to appeal the temporary restraining order issued by the court. The ruling stems from a request made jointly by the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The injunction prevents the referendum from proceeding until March 18, with early voting scheduled for March 6. The Republican request for relief — signed by U.S. Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith — argued that Democrats rushed redistricting-related legislation through the legislature despite legal barriers preventing such haste.
In a statement, the GOP national committee called the ruling “a massive win in defending honest representation for every Virginian.” This marks the second time Judge Hurley has ruled against Democratic redistricting efforts, following an earlier decision invalidating a constitutional amendment resolution passed during a special legislative session and deemed improperly timed near an intervening election.
The Virginia Supreme Court previously allowed the referendum to proceed pending review of the appeal, but the court found Democrats’ legal arguments presented “an extraordinarily high likelihood of success on the merits.” Plaintiffs contended the referendum violates Article XII, Section 1 of the Virginia Constitution because early voting is set for “sooner than 90 days after” the January passage of House Joint Resolution 4.
Additionally, Judge Hurley determined the ballot language — particularly the phrase “restore fairness” — is misleading and constitutionally problematic, as it could lead voters to believe they are committing an act of unfairness by opposing the amendment. The court’s order specifies that temporary relief applies “for the limited purpose of preserving the status quo between the parties pending a hearing on a motion for a preliminary injunction.”
The judge also denied Virginia’s motions to transfer venue and to stay the case, ordering defendants remain “temporarily restrained” from advancing the referendum until further notice. The injunction remains in effect until March 18, unless modified or extended.