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Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine weighed in after the state Supreme Court blocked a newly drawn congressional map Friday, with Warner calling the ruling "outrageous" and Kaine urging candidates to "go win."
"I was really disappointed by the court," Warner said.
VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT RULES ON NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP
The court ruled the redistricting effort failed to meet Virginia’s constitutional amendment requirements, halting a plan Democrats had hoped would help flip several GOP-held seats as both parties battle for control of the House.
The amendment, passed in 2020, established stricter guidelines for congressional map-drawing and approval. It also included limits on how political influence can shape district boundaries — a key issue cited by the court.
"I’m not going to second-guess the fact that the majority of Virginians voted for this," Warner said.
Democratic lawmakers had aimed to target four GOP-held seats under the proposal, which voters approved in May before it was overturned by the court. The plan would have reshaped the state’s House map in Democrats’ favor ahead of the midterm elections.
THIS CRUCIAL STATE IS THE LATEST BATTLEGROUND IN REDISTRICTING WAR BETWEEN TRUMP AND DEMOCRATS
Those targeted districts were seen as crucial in Democrats’ efforts to gain ground in Virginia, which remains competitive in federal races even as it leans Democratic statewide.
"Here’s what I think," Kaine said. "We need to do now what we did last November and just go win a whole lot of seats on the maps we didn’t draw."
Kaine’s response shows the face Democrats are putting on in Virginia amid the redistricting fallout as both parties struggle for control of the House in the upcoming November midterms.
He did not directly address the question, instead pointing to his party’s candidate strength and its ability to compete in key races heading into the election.
"Everything about the candidates who are in the races and the dynamic that they're feeling tells me we can do that, so that's what I'm focused on now," he said.
Republicans have criticized the redistricting effort as an attempt to tilt the map in Democrats’ favor, while Democrats have pointed to similar efforts in GOP-led states as part of a broader national fight over congressional lines.
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Kaine accused Republicans of redrawing maps "through backroom deals" in a separate statement while scolding the Virginia Supreme Court for raising concerns about the referendum after "three million Virginians cast their ballots."
"It sure as heck seems like there are one set of rules for Democrats and another set of rules for Republicans," Warner said.
With the proposed map blocked, both parties are expected to focus on key competitive Virginia districts that could decide control of the House.
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