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The state’s current representation in the House consists of six Republicans and five Democrats.
However, a newly proposed electoral map, approved by voters, aimed to shift the advantage to Democrats in 10 out of the 11 congressional districts.
In a recent 4-3 ruling, the state’s Supreme Court rejected this map on procedural grounds, halting the planned changes.
Former President Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social, stating, “A major victory for the Republican Party and America in Virginia.”
He further remarked, “The Virginia Supreme Court has just overturned the Democrats’ unfair gerrymander.”
Unlike in Australia, most US states allow state legislators to draw congressional districts, as well as their own state-level districts.
The party in power in that state then has the power to draw districts in a way that favours them.
Multiple states have been redrawing their maps months out from the midterm elections, which Democrats have been favoured to win.
Since it was overturned last month, several Republican-controlled legislatures have begun dismantling black-majority districts.
In Tennessee yesterday, Republican legislators split the city of Memphis into three largely rural districts.
“For too long, Tennessee politics has been dominated by cosmopolitan communists and race hustlers imposing their corrupt will on a deeply rural and conservative state,” Republican Congressman Andy Ogles said.
“The General Assembly’s constitutional redrawing of Federal Districts affirms a foundational truth: Tennessee must be represented by Tennesseans, not socialist democrats.”
After the law was passed, Democratic state representative Justin Pearson set fire to a Confederate flag in protest.
“These maps are racist tools of white supremacy at the behest of the most powerful white supremacist in the United States of America, Donald J Trump,” he said.
The redrawing of the map also secures the re-election prospects of Ogles, who is facing a serious challenge from the Democratic mayor of the city of Columbia, Chaz Molder.
The new gerrymander drew Columbia out of Ogles’ district.
In the US south, political opinions are divided starkly on racial lines, with white voters overwhelmingly backing Republicans and black voters overwhelmingly backing Democrats.
Maps in Texas and Florida have also been redrawn to benefit Republicans, and in California to benefit Democrats.
Republicans currently hold a majority of just a handful of seats in the House of Representatives.
Polling shows Democrats are likely to outdo Republicans in November’s elections.
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