Matthew Clark

BIG WIN: Tazewell Circuit Court just enjoined the certification of the special election!! UPDATE: From the Tazewell Circuit Court, the Judge reaffirmed all prior rulings, declared the referendum as unconstitutional and the amendment process of HB 1384 as unconstitutional. He entered injunctive relief and specifically enjoyed the certification of the election. He denied a motion to stay pending appeal. A final order will be entered once drafted.

This is insane… The Virginia redistricting amendment on the ballot today is framed as a vote to "restore fairness in the upcoming elections." In reality, it turns a state that Kamala barely won by 5 pts from 6D-5R to 10D-1R.

The "yes" vote has won Va's redistricting referendum — but the legal fight is just beginning. Four Va Constitutional challenges are now teed up: THREE challenges to the amendment process itself: 1️⃣ First passage was invalid. The amendment was taken up during a special session convened in 2024 for budget purposes. The General Assembly's own call to the Governor (under Art. IV, §6 and Art. V, §5) and its governing resolution (HJR 6001) limited the session's scope. Expanding it to include a constitutional amendment on redistricting required a two-thirds vote that never occurred. A Tazewell County judge found this action "void, ab initio." 2️⃣ Art. XII, §1 requires that after first passage, a proposed amendment be "referred to the General Assembly at its first regular session held after the next general election of members of the House of Delegates." An election must intervene between first and second passage. Here, first passage occurred during an election cycle — not before an intervening one. 3️⃣ Art. XII, §1 requires the amendment be submitted to voters "not sooner than ninety days after final passage by the General Assembly." The timeline from second passage to the April 21 vote did not satisfy this requirement. Plus ONE challenge to the proposed maps: 4️⃣ Art. II, §6 requires that "every electoral district shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory." The proposed congressional maps violate this contiguity requirement (rather badly). Next stop, court. Stay tuned.

Congratulations, Virginia! Republicans are trying to tilt the midterm elections in their favor, but they haven’t done it yet. Thanks for showing us what it looks like to stand up for our democracy and fight back.

BREAKING: WASHINGTON (AP) — Virginia voters approve new US House districts that could aid Democrats in midterm elections.

Congratulations, Virginia! Republicans are trying to tilt the midterm elections in their favor, but they haven’t done it yet. Thanks for showing us what it looks like to stand up for our democracy and fight back.

Virginia voters have spoken, and tonight they pushed back against a President who claims he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress. As we watched other states go along with those demands without voter input, Virginians refused to let that stand. We responded the right way: at the ballot box.