Supreme Court rejects Virginia's bid to restore congressional map favoring Democrats

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 6:43 PM EDT, May 15, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Virginia’s bid to restore a congressional map that would have given Democrats a chance to pick up four seats in the closely divided House of Representatives.

The court’s order is the latest twist in the nation’s mid-decade redistricting competition. It was kicked off last year by President Donald Trump urging Republican-controlled states to redraw their lines and was supercharged by a recent Supreme Court ruling severely weakening the Voting Rights Act that opened up even more winnable seats for the GOP.

In recent days, the justices have sided with Republicans in Alabama and Louisiana who hope to redo their congressional maps to produce more GOP-leaning seats following the court’s voting rights decision.

But the Virginia situation was different, stemming from a 4-3 ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court that struck down a constitutional amendment that voters narrowly passed just last month.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-virginia-redistricting-democrats-republicans-fdd33b89ac29cf2806f790f9b22ee2e9

[Lovie777]

1. Of course.............

[bluestarone]

2. Fast decisions when they want too

[Jose Garcia]

7. Would you have preferred if they yook a few months yo issue a ruling?

[Indyfan53]

3. Ignore the court!

Republicans ignored their state courts and implemented their maps. Time to fight dirty, Dems! Grow a spine!

[FBaggins]

4. This is the supreme court

Where has anyone ignored federal and state courts and "implemented their maps"?

[oldmanlynn]

6. Lincoln ignored the supreme court.

If i was virginia i would fire the entire supreme court of Virginia. We have to start playing ruthless like republicans before we no longer can.

[FBaggins]

11. He did not

He disagreed with a single federal judge who happened to also be the CJ of the Supreme Court (but who was acting as a circuit judge at the time). By the time the court itself ruled on the issue it was moot because Congress (which DID have the power to suspend the writ) had already acted in agreement with the president… the war had ended… and of course Lincoln was dead.

[Indyfan53]

12. Ohio and Utah

Ohio republicans ignored their state court and implemented their maps. Utah stacked their state court with judges who will rule in their favor.

[FBaggins]

16. Neither example fits the request

Ohio republicans didn't ignore their state court... they brought it to a higher court and won. That's entirely different from losing in the state courts AND the federal courts and then doing something anyway.

Utah republicans have tried to pack their court (which is an odd phrase since the existing court was already 5-0 appointed by republican governors) - but I don't see that they ignored either a federal or state court... and the state is moving from an all-red districting where they all won by 20 points or more... to one with a safe blue district. How does this fit a claim that they're just doing what they want regardless of what courts say?

[manicdem]

5. Vote was 9-0 with no dissents nt

[Quiet Em]

8. We don't know the vote count or if there were any dissents

they are not typically included in emergency dockets

this is all that was released

https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/051526zr_1a72.pdf

[Bayard]

9. Okay for rethuglicans, not for Dems.

Got it.

[SoFlaBro]

10. Time to stop fucking around with these MAGA fuckstains. Fire that whole shitty assed court of motherfuckers.

[Shrek]

13. No blistering dissent from Justice Jackson? n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

14. Since Roberts oversees the Circuit that VA is in

the request went to him and he denied it (I assume after polling the other Justices).

ORDER (PDF) - https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/051526zr_1a72.pdf

SCOTUSBlog did a write up on it - https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/05/court-denies-virginias-request-to-reinstate-congressional-map-that-would-benefit-democrats/

Here was their request (PDF) - https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/25/25A1240/409038/20260515181033198_25A1240_Application_Reply.pdf

The SCOTUS tends to defer to a state's Supreme Court decision.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. Gov. Spanberger responds to the Virginia Supreme Court overturning the will of the people:

Gov. Spanberger responds to the Virginia Supreme Court overturning the will of the people:

“...the majority of Virginia voters voted to push back against a President who said he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress... I am disappointed by the Supreme Court of Virginia’s ruling"

— Headquarters (@headquartersnews.bsky.social) 2026-05-08T18:15:03.646Z

[Deminpenn]

17. SCOTUS rejected the Pennsylvania R's appeal

after the PA Supreme Court ruled the the state's maps were not in accordance with our state constitution and eventually imposed their own maps when Gov Wolf and the R legislature couldn't agree on new maps.

FTR, Alito is the justice who oversees the 3rd District.

The VA supreme Court ruled on a similar state constitution issue which was the definition of election day. I wasn't surprised SCOTUS rejected the Dem appeal.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. The SCOTUS tends to defer to a state's Supreme Court.