By a 4-3 vote the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a voter approved gerrymandered congressional map that would have eliminated all but one Republican district. The court ruled that the state's Democratic-led legislature violated procedural requirements when it placed the constitutional amendment on the ballot to authorize the mid-decade redistricting.
Because this was a decision by the Supreme Court of Virginia interpreting the Virginia Constitution and Virginia’s amendment process, there is generally no ordinary appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court unless a federal constitutional issue is involved.
Virginia currently is represented in the U.S. House by six Democrats and five Republicans, a make-up which closely resembles the political breakdown of the state population.
The decision means the current map is almost certain to be in place for the November mid-terms.
Robert Knight is a columnist for The Washington Times who lives in Virginia.
"It's always refreshing when a court actually looks at the law and rules on the validity of the law and whether it's been violated. That's what happened here. The Virginia Supreme Court had nowhere to go once you look at what the Constitution requires in terms of election procedures. The Democrats violated it several ways, and the court had really no choice, although many courts have had that choice and ignored it and ruled on ideological grounds. But this is a huge victory for Republicans."
Knight says a lot can happen nationwide between now and November.
"But right now the Republicans seem to hold the advantage, thanks to the redistricting. Many states have been redistricting, and Republicans now probably will gain more seats than Democrats, but a lot depends on gasoline prices and other factors. If the Iran war ends in a way that people regard as a victory, that could go a long way toward actually adding Republican seats in the House and Senate."
Knight says it is all going to depend on turnout.
