Virginia's Partisan Redistricting: A New Battle in House Control

0:00Virginia voters just greenlit a new redistricting plan that skips the bipartisan commission and uses maps from the Democratic-led General Assembly. This could hand Democrats up to four extra U.S. House seats in the midterms. It's a big move in the ongoing map wars. Virginia now joins six other states battling it out with partisan redraws to tip House control. It all kicked off last year when Texas Republicans redrew districts to boost their side, sparking a chain reaction nationwide. Republicans eye up to nine more seats from new maps in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio. Democrats have countered with five potential gains in California approved by voters there and won in Utah from court drawn lines. Democrats are banking on Virginia to close that gap, assuming courts don't toss it out. Meanwhile, Florida's GOP legislature meets April 28 for a special session that could redraw maps in their favor. A Supreme Court case looms on the Voting Rights Act, which might let more Republican states redraw before midterms.

1:03This redistricting chess game is heating up fast, reshaping the battle for the House. You've been listening to Dallas News today, AI-powered local news.