Here’s how political leaders from Virginia and outside of the commonwealth, on both sides of the referendum question, responded to Friday’s state Supreme Court ruling.
The ‘yes’ side
Democratic Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi: “This [Supreme Court of Virginia] decision does not exist in isolation. It comes amid years of assaults on fundamental civil rights, the battles for voting rights, escalating hyperpartisanship, and coordinated efforts to erode public trust in democratic institutions. … In a time of growing national instability and political chaos, the Commonwealth has a responsibility to stand firmly in defense of democracy. Virginians understood this responsibility and made their voices heard loud and clear this past November as they elected Democrats who will fight for them into all three statewide offices and secured a strong majority in the House of Delegates. Democrats stood up and fought, as hard as possible, for every Virginian and for all Americans. Virginia must remain committed to an electoral system that puts people before politics and protects the fundamental right of every citizen to participate fully and fairly in the decisions that impact their lives. Our Commonwealth must remain a bulwark and stand on the sacred principle that voters choose their leaders, not the other way around.”
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.: “Unlike Republican-led states that have redrawn their maps through backroom deals, the Virginia General Assembly let the people decide for themselves in a free and fair election. If the Virginia Supreme Court had legitimate concerns about this referendum, the time to stop it would have been before three million Virginians cast their ballots. But the Court let the process move forward, and Virginians sent a message loud and clear: we see President Trump’s brazen power grab in states across the country, and we won’t stand for it. The timing of this ruling speaks volumes. The U.S. Supreme Court eviscerates the Voting Rights Act in a lawsuit brought by a January 6 extremist and Southern states race to craft backroom deals disenfranchising minority voters and candidates. Meanwhile Virginia voters choose to stand up against national disenfranchisement only to see their votes cast into the trash by a 4-3 ruling. A sad day indeed but I’m proud of Virginians’ willingness to stay true to our state’s motto after 250 years. That spirit is needed now more than ever.”
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.: “While I respect the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision, it’s impossible to ignore that more than three million Virginians already cast their ballots on the amendment and deserved to have their voices heard. Let’s be clear: this started because Republicans across the country decided to push mid-decade redistricting in states where they thought they could rig the map for partisan gain. Virginia’s effort was a response to that national power grab, not the cause of it. Donald Trump assumed he could tilt the playing field and lock in political advantage before a single ballot was cast. But Virginians are paying attention. … Democrats will still show up this November, we will still compete everywhere, and when the votes are counted, Virginians will send a strong message about the kind of leadership they want.”
Beth Macy, Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District: “I’m not a lawyer, and I won’t pretend to have all the answers on what comes next legally. What I do know is this: the country is on fire, and decisions like this one represent another serious step backward. I got into this race because my neighbors urged me to help turn this country around — and that doesn’t change based on a court ruling. What this moment makes clear is that Ben Cline needs to be held accountable. Virginians deserve a representative who will fight for them — not a lapdog for the forces that are working to rig elections, undermine democracy, and enrich themselves. I intend to be that fighter, and this Supreme Court decision doesn’t change that.”
Tom Perriello, Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District: “As we’ve said from the launch of the campaign, we will respect the will of the voters and the courts. In this case they were at odds with one another but we have the districts seemingly set at this point, so we remain committed to running in the 5th District as outlined by the supreme court today. We expect to be up against incumbent John McGuire and having done hundreds of listening sessions across central and southside Virginia over the last few months, I can say one thing that people on the right, left and center seem to agree on is that McGuire needs to be fired and replaced by somebody who actually cares about central and southside Virginia.”
State Sen. Lamont Bagby, D-Richmond and chair, Democratic Party of Virginia: “All across the south, by order of the President of the United States, and encouraged by the United States Supreme Court, MAGA governors are ripping up Black and Brown districts in an effort to tear control of our politics from the people and rest it in the hands of power-hungry politicians who seek to enrich themselves and strip us of our right to self determination at the ballot box. Today’s decision from the Virginia Supreme Court sees a supposed technicality preventing Virginia from pushing back on encroaching authoritarianism from our Federal government and will be seen for years to come as a landmark decision in the appeasement of the President. We will fight alongside our candidates in all 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts. We won at the ballot box in April and we will do it again in November, because it is the will of the people.”
The Rev. Cozy Bailey, president, NAACP Virginia State Conference: “In the face of adversity, we stand united. This ruling is not merely an attack on redistricting; it is an affront to our fundamental rights as citizens. We will not be silenced. We will rise and fight for our democracy.”
John Bisognano, president, National Democratic Redistricting Committee: “The people of Virginia—more than 3.1 million of them—voted to adopt a new Congressional map to thwart Donald Trump’s ongoing attempt to unfairly rig the 2026 midterm elections. The Virginia Supreme Court is wrong to take it upon itself to overrule the citizens of Virginia after they already voted.”
Suzan DelBene, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair: “Last month, millions of Virginians cast their ballots and stood up against the Republican power grab. Today, four unelected judges decided to cast aside the will of the voters. This is a setback that sends a terrible message to Americans – the powerful and elite will do everything they can to silence you. House Democrats will not let this happen. Our democracy was founded on the belief that the people have the final say. In November, they will, and they’ll power Democrats to the House majority.”
Eric Holder, chair, National Democratic Redistricting Committee: “The Virginia Supreme Court decision today is a baffling one. The Court — seized with the issue — could have expressed itself BEFORE the vote. Now that the people have spoken, it is hard to understand both the rationale of the Court-permitted process and the reasoning behind the Court’s opinion that silences the majority voice of Virginia voters. This is especially troubling given the reality that this nation faces with Republican efforts to steal the 2026 midterm election and given the Virginia Supreme Court’s laudable prior pro-democracy actions in this area.”
Virginians for Fair Elections: “Today is a deeply troubling moment for Virginia, the nation, and our entire democracy. Over three million Virginians participated in a free and fair election. They showed up in historic numbers, followed the rules, and made a clear decision at the ballot box. And today, the Supreme Court of Virginia decided these votes will not count. …Virginians did everything right. They participated. A majority voted YES to stop Trump’s power grab. And they deserve to be heard. This fight is not over. Because at its core, this is bigger than one election — it’s about whether voters decide our democracy, or whether that power can be taken away after the votes are cast.”
The ‘no’ side
Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt County: “This is the correct decision, and it was always going to end up this way. Democrats broke laws that they helped write in the first place, blew through deadlines, wrote a biased and misleading ballot question, and lied to the voters in all of their advertising to support the referendum. The voters of Virginia banned gerrymandering six years ago, and that ban remains in effect today. This is a great day for fair elections and the rule of law, and it’s a great day for the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Rep. John McGuire, R-Goochland County: “The referendum’s narrow election results reinforced what Virginians decided six years ago, we don’t want partisan politicians drawing our maps. The Redistricting Commission was created to ensure all Virginians’ voices are heard, and thanks to the Virginia Supreme Court, that will not change. Virginia Democrats’ hasty, dishonest, and illegal attempts to redraw our maps proved how desperate they are to take away our representation. Democrat politicians in Virginia tried to cheat by violating our constitution, but thank God they didn’t get away with it. I commend the Virginia Supreme Court for upholding the constitution and standing up for the voices of every voter in our Commonwealth. I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to get out the NO vote. I look forward to continuing to work with President Trump and House leadership to win the midterms, so we can continue making America great again for all Americans.”
George Allen, former Republican governor of Virginia: “Thank goodness the rule of law and our Constitution were upheld by the Virginia Supreme Court. This is a great victory for the people of Virginia, who will decide who represents them in fair, honest, compact congressional districts of similar communities. Our bipartisan band fought for the principle that, in our Virginia Constitution, districts should be determined by a bipartisan, independent commission rather than conniving politicians trying to rig election results.”
Brian Cannon, head, No Gerrymandering Virginia: “Democracy won today in Virginia. The Court did exactly what Justice Kagan invited the states to do in Rucho — it stood up to partisan gerrymandering and said no. Gerrymandering is wrong no matter where it happens or which party does it. Now it is time for the Florida Supreme Court to uphold its own state constitution and strike down Florida’s gerrymandered map.”
William Fralin, former Republican state delegate from Roanoke: “The people of Virginia should be extremely grateful to have a courageous Supreme Court that will enforce the rule of law. Sic Semper Tyrannis.”
Joe Gruters, chair, Republican National Committee: “Democrats just learned that when you try to rig elections, you lose. Today, the Virginia Supreme Court sided with the rule of law and struck down Democrats’ unconstitutional maps. The RNC led the charge in court against this blatant power grab, where Virginia Democrats poured more than $66 million into an effort to lock in control and silence voters. We took them to court, and we won.”
Jason Miyares, former Republican attorney general of Virginia: “Virginians spoke loud and clear in 2020 that voters should pick their elected officials, not the other way around. Today, their voices were heard over the shamefully deceptive rhetoric and language of an unconstitutional effort by Richmond Democrats to carve up the state for themselves. We thank the Justices for their swift action to uphold the rights of our fellow Virginians all across the Commonwealth.”
Jeff Ryer, chair, Republican Party of Virginia: “Violating the Constitution while twisting and bending the clear provisions of the Code of Virginia to impose a cynically partisan outcome has, sadly, become the hallmark of the Spanberger Administration and the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. Now, it is time for the Governor and the General Assembly to fulfill their actual duties under the Constitution by approving a biennial budget. The focus on gaining partisan advantage by effectively disenfranchising half of Virginians needs to end today.”