Virginia Democrats Feud With Each Other Over Redistricting Plans

The Democratic effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional map is unraveling beneath the weight of internal party infighting, as leaders in Richmond miss their own deadlines and spar over which factions and politicians stand to benefit.

A disagreement between Democrats in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates has stalled plans to release a new congressional map, despite both chambers agreeing in principle on an aggressively gerrymandered split that awards 10 seats to Democrats and only one to Republicans. Party leaders passed a self-imposed January 30 deadline to unveil a proposal, and a scheduled negotiating session this week was abruptly canceled.

The breakdown comes as Democrats insist that redistricting remains urgent following a judge’s order to block the effort. Party leaders have publicly vowed to fight the ruling, but behind the scenes, lawmakers appear divided over who gets what turf. At the center of the dispute is which side of the party stands to gain from the new map proposal.

House of Delegates Democrats favor a proposal drafted by the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC) that targets four Republican-held seats and creates a new district anchored in Northern Virginia. Senate Democrats, however, have balked at that plan, arguing the new seat appears designed to favor a specific House member with close ties to leadership.

The Senate’s alternative map would carve out new Democratic-leaning districts in Loudoun County and the Richmond area, a move critics say would conveniently position two sitting state senators for congressional runs. That proposal also risks forcing top Democratic recruits into the same district, creating a costly and avoidable primary fight.

Virginia is a key battleground in the Democrats’ push to retake the U.S. House, with national party leaders eyeing a three-to-four-seat pickup through redistricting alone. But Democrats hold only a razor-thin majority in the state Senate, meaning a single defection could sink any proposal.

Republicans have been quick to note that the Democratic redistricting push is driven by self-interest rather than necessity. The Republican Party of Virginia accused Democrats of missing their own deadline and devolving into internal squabbles over who gets to run in the districts they are trying to redraw.

MORE PROOF that Democrats’ gerrymandering power grab is just about selfish ambition and nothing more.

They said we’d see the maps by Jan. 30. Nearly a week later and guess what – NO MAPS!

Now we have confirmed that the very people looking to blow up our maps and give themselves… pic.twitter.com/3duj8VSv99

— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) February 3, 2026

Virginia House Speaker Don Scott (D-VA) has remained in contact with U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) throughout the process, while Virginia Senate leaders have separately expressed deep concerns about the NDRC-backed map. For now, both chambers say they’re working toward a compromise, though no new deadline for a plan has been announced.

For a party arguing that redistricting is both urgent and necessary, the continued lack of a unified proposal raises questions about whether Democrats can translate that urgency into action. With competing maps, missed deadlines, and unresolved disputes between the House and Senate, the process appears increasingly shaped by internal dynamics rather than a shared strategy, complicating efforts to reshape the map as midterm deadlines tighten.