Virginia redistricting election will go forward while state Supreme Court considers appeal
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/virginia-redistricting-election-will-go-forward-while-state-supreme-court-considers-appeal
Virginia voters will get to cast ballots on a congressional redistricting plan benefiting Democrats while a court battle plays out over the legality of the effort.
The Virginia Supreme Court said Friday that a statewide referendum can be held April 21 on whether to authorize mid-decade redistricting, and the court will decide sometime later whether the plan is legal.
Democrats celebrated the green light for the election. But the court's schedule raises the possibility that it could all be for naught, if the Supreme Court ultimately upholds a lower court ruling that the mid-decade redistricting amendment is invalid.
Virginia Democrats hold six of the state's 11 U.S. House seats, but they are backing a revised map that could help them win up to 10 seats in this year's midterm elections. The new districts are a key part of Democrats' national strategy to try to offset potential Republican gains in several other states that redrew their districts last year at the urging of President Donald Trump.
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