The Virginia Senate just advanced the constitutional redistricting amendment, completing the second of three steps necessary to allow Democrats to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of midterm elections.
Now, it will be up to voters to approve the amendment in a referendum likely to take place in late April or early May.
If the voters approve the change, the General Assembly will have to quickly draw the new boundaries. Democrats, who have majorities in both chambers and control of the Executive Mansion, will control the process and have strongly suggested they will create a map that creates 10 Democratic districts and only one Republican.
Currently, Democrats represent six congressional districts and Republicans five.
Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger’s team did not respond on Wednesday when Virginia Scope asked if she would sign a 10-1 map.
“I won the First District and the Second District in November without any sort of redistricting,” Spanberger said during an event with Politico last year. “I have my eyes on those districts, and I know we can win them this November. So to be very clear, I want to flip seats in the House of Representatives, and I know that we can, because I just won [these districts].”
Spanberger emphasized that she is prioritizing affordability legislation but supports keeping redistricting as an option.
“I do think it’s important that Virginia leave open the option and we have a multi-year process, or multi-step process in order to do any type of redistricting,” Spanberger said during the Politico event.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said on the floor Friday that legislators can either call a special session to draw the maps or pass provisional legislation during the current session.
Both Senate and House Democrats have indicated that the maps will be available for voters to view before they cast their ballots in the referendum.
This will continue to be a developing situation.