Obama joins push for new congressional maps in Virginia
Source: Politico
03/05/2026 10:39 AM EST
The Democratic effort to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts just gained a high-profile supporter: former President Barack Obama. Obama is backing a proposed Virginia constitutional amendment that could net Democrats up to four seats in the coming midterm elections.
“We can’t afford two more years of unchecked power and zero accountability in Washington,” he said in a video released on X on Thursday. “Help us chart a better path forward.”
Virginia’s effort to change its congressional map is just the latest in a partisan mid-decade redistricting process that started last summer, when Texas Republicans, under pressure from President Donald Trump, approved a gerrymander that appears primed to help the party flip five more seats in the midterms.
Democrats responded first in California. Additional fights over redistricting — some successful — have followed in red and blue states, including Missouri, Indiana and Maryland. Republicans in Florida, too, are gearing up for a redistricting push in April.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/05/obama-supports-virginia-congressional-maps-00814120