MAP: How Virginia Democrats’ redistricting proposal would reshape elections

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- We are getting a first look at what could become Virginia's new congressional map, as proposed by Virginia Democrats.

On Thursday, Feb. 5, Virginia Democrats reached an agreement as to how they'd like to redistrict the Commonwealth -- despite the ongoing legal challenge this effort is entangled in.

If this plan is ultimately approved, it would alter Virginia's congressional districts. Many Virginians would see their congressional district change, which means they'd be represented by -- and able to vote on the future of -- a different member of Congress.

Virginia Democrats said this new map is an attempt to protect democracy after President Donald Trump successfully lobbied several Republican states, such as Texas, to redraw their congressional maps in a way that favors Republicans.

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By contrast, Virginia Republicans said the new map is an attempt at gerrymandering, or the intentional manipulation of electoral maps to unfairly put one party in power.

Late Thursday evening, Virginia Democrats shared the map on the General Assembly's website, as well as the data behind it. So what exactly is being proposed? Here's a breakdown.

Several districts would change substantially

Virginia last saw congressional redistricting in late 2021. This current map and the proposed new map are both included below.

Virginia's new congressional districts, as redistricted in 2021. (Photo: Supreme Court of Virginia)

Virginia Democrats' proposed new congressional district map in 2026. (Photo: General Assembly)

While some districts look relatively similar between the two maps, the majority would see significant change if this plan is approved.

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For example, District 1 -- which is currently represented by Rep. Rob Whittman (R-VA1) -- would be almost entirely remade, going from an expansive district to one that includes all or part of only seven localities. It retains just two of the localities from the previously-drawn district.

Unlike District 1, which would geographically shrink under this new plan, districts 9 and 11 -- which are currently represented by Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA9) and Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11), respectively -- would grow substantially.

District 9 would absorb much of what is currently District 6 in the western portion of Virginia, while District 11 would expand its reach from Fairfax County to several other surrounding localities, from Prince William County to Shenandoah County.

By contrast, districts 2 and 3 in the Tidewater region -- which are currently represented by Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA2) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA3), respectively -- would see very minimal changes.

Multiple new districts would be more diverse

Data released alongside the proposed map shows that multiple of these potential new districts would have a more diverse population.

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For example, according to the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), nearly 80% of the current District 6 is white. The redrawn District 6 would instead have a population that is about 72% white. A similar change would occur in both District 5, which would shift from about 69% white to about 62%.

A larger shift would take place in District 1, which would see its white population reduced from nearly 72% to about 54.6%. Its Black population would more than double, by contrast, rising from about 8% to about 18%.

By contrast, District 9 would gain a small number of white residents, growing from 86.8% white to 88.53% white.

It's important to note that white residents would still outnumber nonwhite residents in 9 out of the 11 new districts.

Almost all new districts would favor Democrats

Under the new plan, 10 of the 11 new congressional districts would favor Democrats at the ballot box, while only one would favor Republicans.

Currently, Virginia has six Democratic and five Republican representatives in Congress.

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During the 2025 gubernatorial and the 2024 presidential elections, the majority of voters in all of the redrawn districts voted for the Democratic candidate -- except for the proposed District 9, which heavily leaned Republican.

Among these 10 Democrat-favoring districts, the tightest margin in the race against the elected Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) and her Republican challenger former lieutenant governor Winsome-Earle Sears (R) was in the proposed District 2, with a gap of about 27,000 votes. The proposed District 6 had the next-tightest margin of about 33,000 votes.

What are the next steps for this plan?

There are still several hurdles that this plan must clear before this map is approved. Firstly, Virginia Democrats would have to win their court appeal, as a Tazewell County judge previously determined the effort to be illegal.

Should this occur, the future of the plan would then be placed in voters' hands, as they would have to approve of a proposed conditional amendment allowing Virginia Democrats to take up mid-decade congressional redistricting.

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The General Assembly would also have to pass the plan and it would then need to be signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).