A Virginia judge on Thursday afternoon issued a statewide injunction against an amendment to the state constitution currently being pushed by Democrats that would give authority to state legislators to redraw congressional and legislative boundaries in the commonwealth.
This decision halts, at least temporarily, a referendum planned for April 21 in which Virginians would be asked to approve this new amendment, which would replace the current voter-approved amendment that stripped redistricting responsibilities from lawmakers and placed them with a non-partisan commission. If approved, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly would then approve an egregiously-gerrymandered map that would strip Republicans of four of the five House seats they currently hold.
Statewide injunction issued against redistricting amendment. Except a immediate appeal to the Court of Appeals - with a request to stay the injunction. We will see what the higher court says. pic.twitter.com/lIWguL3RBt
— Tim Anderson (@AssocAnderson) February 19, 2026
Thursday's injunction was issued by Tazewell County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jack Hurley, the same judge who in January ruled Democrats had illegally advanced their gerrymandering scheme ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. As RedState's Sister Toldjah reported at the time, Hurley decided "that lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session; failed to approve the amendment before the public began voting in last year’s general election; and failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by law."
The Supreme Court of Virginia (SCOVA) ruled last week that the April referendum could go ahead as scheduled and indicated they would decide the merits of Hurley's original ruling at some point after the referendum votes are counted.
READ MORE: Not So Fast: RNC Moves to Stop Democrats' Gerrymander Madness in Virginia
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Not happy with SCOVA's decision to delay its involvement, the Republican National Committee (RNC), along with sitting Republican Reps. Ben Cline (VA-06) and Morgan Griffith (VA-09), sued the Virginia Board of Elections to stop the referendum from taking place, arguing, "Emergency relief is needed to prevent the transmission of a defective proposal for constitutional amendment to Virginia voters that violates the Commonwealth’s Constitution and an order of this Court."
The RNC lawsuit was filed in Tazewell County; it's this lawsuit on which Hurley issued his Thursday decision.
Two additional Republican congressmen who, like Cline and Griffith, could lose their seats if the Democrat-designed gerrymander advances, have also filed a lawsuit seeking to change the language of the referendum.
Two more GOP congressman have filed a lawsuit regarding the coming Virginia redistricting referendum. The lawsuit from John McGuire and Rob Wittman doesn’t ask to stop the election but rather to require a change in ballot language. pic.twitter.com/532FI11YEa
— Joe Dodson (@joedodson16) February 19, 2026
Meanwhile, Democrats in the Virginia state Senate have been busy shoring up the already-dark-blue congressional districts they debuted last week.
Breaking: The Virginia Senate has approved an amended bill that will create a 10D-1R congressional map in Virginia.
— Tyler Englander (@TylerEnglander) February 19, 2026
The amended version now heads to the House.
If it passes the House on Friday, @GovernorVA will then have seven days from when she actually receives the bill to…
Breaking: The Virginia Senate has approved an amended bill that will create a 10D-1R congressional map in Virginia.
The amended version now heads to the House.
If it passes the House on Friday, @GovernorVA will then have seven days from when she actually receives the bill to consider the budget bill that contains the map.
It comes as @BradKutner and @Jaaavis report a new legal challenge from the RNC could derail redistricting.
There are a lot of legal hurdles for both sides of the gerrymandering issue to clear, so be sure to stick with RedState for all the latest developments.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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