{"id":2609453,"date":"2026-06-02T08:44:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-missouri-republicans-got-right-and-virginia-democrats-got-wrong-in-redistricting\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T08:47:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T12:47:52","slug":"what-missouri-republicans-got-right-and-virginia-democrats-got-wrong-in-redistricting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-missouri-republicans-got-right-and-virginia-democrats-got-wrong-in-redistricting\/","title":{"rendered":"What Missouri And Virginia Got Wrong And Right In Redistricting"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fwhat-missouri-republicans-got-right-and-virginia-democrats-got-wrong-in-redistricting%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2609453&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article describes a difficult month for Democrats in the 2026 redistricting battles, contrasting outcomes in Missouri adn Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>in **Missouri**, after Republican Governor Mike Kehoe and the GOP legislature enacted a new congressional map, two voters challenged the map and sought to suspend it while a **referendum petition** was pursued. In **_Maggard v. State_**, the Missouri Supreme Court declined to suspend the map because the lawsuit tried to effectively create a new automatic suspension rule based on the filing of a referendum-something the court said wasn\u2019t properly authorized. The new map has continued to be upheld thru state court review, tho Democrats are expected to keep challenging it as the referendum process develops.<\/p>\n<p>In **Virginia**, Democrats\u2019 attempt to pass a heavily Democratic-favored congressional redistricting plan failed in court. Virginia Democrats pursued a constitutional approach intended to \u201crestore fairness,\u201d but the effort was derailed by **procedural errors**, especially starting the constitutional amendment process too late-during the November 2025 general election rather than before it. Virginia\u2019s constitution requires an intervening election between legislative approvals for a constitutional amendment; the court found that requirement was violated. The Virginia Supreme Court struck down the amendment and referendum results, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to halt that decision.<\/p>\n<p>The author argues these contrasting results reflect differences in how each state\u2019s rules work and emphasizes that both Virginia and missouri approaches involved attempts to push legal boundaries-Virginia by bypassing constitutional timing requirements, and Missouri Democrats by trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >obtain judicially created suspension rules<\/a> not supported by state election law.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>It was a gruesome month for Democrats in the 2026 redistricting war. Virginia Democrats\u2019 effort to create a heavily Democrat-favored congressional <a href=\"https:\/\/centerforpolitics.org\/crystalball\/newvaratings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">gerrymander<\/a> crashed and burned with losses at both the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vacourts.gov\/static\/opinions\/opnscvwp\/1260127.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Virginia Supreme Court<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2026\/05\/court-denies-virginias-request-to-reinstate-congressional-map-that-would-benefit-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">United States Supreme Court<\/a>. Between those rulings, the Missouri Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/statecourtreport.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-05\/maggard_opinion_sc101581.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slapped down<\/a> an attempt to overturn a duly enacted congressional map in Missouri that may net Republicans an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-political-earthquake-in-new-york-that-doomed-democrats-in-2022\/\" title=\"The Political Earthquake in New York That Doomed ... in 2022\">additional congressional seat<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Why the two ostensibly different results? Redistricting criteria are primarily set by state election law, and while Missouri Republicans followed the law, Virginia Democrats ignored their state\u2019s constitution. As my former team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oag.state.va.us\/files\/Opinions\/2025\/25-029-Kilgore-Issued.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">warned<\/a> months ago, Virginia Democrats\u2019 scheme was doomed from the start by misguided procedural short-cuts. <\/p>\n<h2><strong>Missouri: <\/strong><strong><em>Maggard v. State<\/em><\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The saga of <em>Maggard v. State<\/em> began when Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2025\/08\/29\/missouri-redistrict-00536850\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a> a special session to redraw congressional maps, targeting a safe blue 5th Congressional District. The Republican-controlled Missouri legislature passed the proposed map, with Kehoe signing the related bill into law.<\/p>\n<p>This month, in <a href=\"https:\/\/statecourtreport.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-05\/maggard_opinion_sc101581.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Maggard v. State<\/em><\/a>, two voters sued Missouri to suspend the state\u2019s new congressional map pending a referendum petition \u2014 a process not normally required for redistricting. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-lawmakers-reintroduce-zero-bail-bill\/\" title=\"California Lawmakers Reintroduce &quot;Zero Bail&quot; Bill\">court ultimately decided<\/a> against suspending Missouri\u2019s map because the case sought to create new requirements where none existed by attempting to automatically suspend the map upon the mere filing of a referendum petition with the secretary of state.<\/p>\n<p>Missouri Republicans have so far engaged in their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-redistricting-lawsuit-could-cost-congressional-republicans-up-to-six-house-seats\/\" title=\"NY ... Lawsuit May Result in GOP Losing Six House Seats\">mid-decade redistricting<\/a> by the book and their new map has now been approved by the Missouri Supreme Court multiple times. Time will tell if the Democrat-led referendum petition will move beyond the filing stage or if it will be found insufficient by the state, but, regardless, it is safe to say that the Democrats will continue to challenge Missouri\u2019s new congressional map.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Virginia: A Very Different Story<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In my service to Virginia, I saw some of the Commonwealth\u2019s most significant election-related matters and litigation in recent memory, including the start of Virginia Democrats\u2019 gerrymandering attempt in late 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Democrats\u2019 ill-fated attempt to gerrymander under the premise of \u201crestor[ing] fairness\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/wset.com\/news\/local\/nearly-100-million-spent-as-virginia-redistricting-vote-is-declared-null-and-void-referendum-congressional-maps-democrats-republicans-may-2026\">cost<\/a> them more than $60 million in messaging and cost Virginia taxpayers more than $5 million \u2014 not including litigation costs. Virginia Democrats\u2019 gerrymander attempt was doomed from the start by procedural missteps: most significantly, they began the process too late.<\/p>\n<p>The Virginia Constitution vests redistricting authority with an Independent Redistricting Commission rather than the legislature. For Virginia Democrats to initiate their gerrymander, they had to first attempt to amend Virginia\u2019s constitution to temporarily supersede the authority of the commission. In order to amend the constitution, the legislature must first approve a proposed amendment in two legislative sessions with an intervening election of the House of Delegates in between the two approvals. Only then can a proposed amendment be voted on via referendum.<\/p>\n<p>The Democrat-controlled Virginia legislature first approved its proposed gerrymandering amendment on <a href=\"https:\/\/statecourtreport.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-05\/supreme_court_of_virginia-opinion.pdf#page=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oct. 31, 2025<\/a>. At that late date \u2014 and after weeks of early voting \u2014 more than 1.3 million votes had already been cast in the November 2025 general election: roughly <a href=\"https:\/\/statecourtreport.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-05\/supreme_court_of_virginia-opinion.pdf#page=12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">40 percent<\/a> of total votes cast in that election. Virginia Democrats clearly started their gerrymandering attempt <em>during, <\/em>rather than before, the general election. Accordingly, there was no \u201cintervening\u201d election during the constitutional amendment process, as required by Virginia\u2019s constitution. This did not stop Virginia Democrats from approving the proposed amendment again in early 2026 and holding a referendum.<\/p>\n<p>On May 8, 2026, the Virginia Supreme Court <a href=\"https:\/\/statecourtreport.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-05\/supreme_court_of_virginia-opinion.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struck<\/a> the proposed amendment and referendum results because Virginia Democrats violated the intervening election requirement of the Virginia constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court subsequently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/orders\/courtorders\/051526zr_1a72.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">denied<\/a> Virginia Democrats\u2019 attempt to stay the Virginia Supreme Court\u2019s decision a week later.<\/p>\n<p>Who could have seen this coming? Then-Attorney General Jason Miyares and my team in his Election Law Section did. In fact, while Virginia Democrats were scrambling to ram through their redistricting vote in the week before the November 2025 general election, three days before it passed the legislature, Miyares, working with both my Election Law Section and the Office of the Attorney General\u2019s Opinions Section, stated exactly that in Attorney General <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oag.state.va.us\/files\/Opinions\/2025\/25-029-Kilgore-Issued.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Opinion 25-029<\/a>. Had Virginia Democrats read Miyares\u2019 opinion, it would have saved them and the taxpayers of Virginia tens of millions of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately the misadventures of Virginia and Missouri Democrats should cause lawmakers contemplating such action to remember that while they may be free to exercise their authority, <a href=\"https:\/\/statecourtreport.org\/sites\/default\/files\/2026-05\/supreme_court_of_virginia-opinion.pdf#page=14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cthe Rule of Law requires that it be done the right way,\u201d<\/a> as Justice D. Arthur Kelsey wrote in the Virginia Supreme Court majority opinion. Each state possesses different redistricting procedures that must be strictly followed.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Democrats cannot act beyond their state\u2019s laws to suit their legislative agenda, just as Missouri Democrats cannot create new law via court decree to suspend Missouri\u2019s congressional map.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Dennis W. Polio is senior counsel at Lex Politica in Washington, D.C., and is an expert in campaign finance, election law, and the First Amendment. Previously, Dennis served in the administration of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/one-of-the-nations-strictest-gun-control-laws-faces-new-legal-challenge\/\" title=\"One of the Nation&#039;s Strictest Gun Control Laws Faces New Legal Challenge\">senior assistant attorney general<\/a>, section chief for election law, and special counsel to the Virginia board of elections, department of elections, and commissioner of elections.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It was a grim month for Democrats in the 2026 redistricting war<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4307,"featured_media":2609454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026_Virginia_redistricting_amendment_signs_advocating_for_and_against_more_close_of_a_picture-e1780243539364.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[33739,22850,8584,16985],"class_list":["post-2609453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-election-law","tag-gerrymandering","tag-missouri","tag-redistricting"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2026_Virginia_redistricting_amendment_signs_advocating_for_and_against_more_close_of_a_picture-e1780243539364.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4307"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2609453"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2609457,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2609453\/revisions\/2609457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2609454"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2609453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2609453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2609453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}