Old Dominion Block!

A Virginia state judge puts an indefinite block on voter referendum

A Virginia commonwealth judge has placed a hold on the state certification of Tuesday’s election results which passed a referendum on the redistricting of the state's congressional districts.

Republicans celebrate this as a victory. They realized that they're playing with fire.

Had the Republicans backed the Democratic Party's proposal to have independent redistricting with federal oversight, none of this would have happened.

Florida is now trying to push to redraw their congressional map to give Republicans an advantage.

Virginia went to the voters and it passed. They passed in delegation and pushed upon the voters. The system was not rigged. It was a passed law, a ballot measure, a large turnout and an election result.

Now some white judge ruled the results moot.

Who the fuck is this judge?

Bet he or she better amplify security.

Some Republican judge from Tazwell, a small town in the new Republican leaning district named Jack S. Hurley, Jr., hurled over the will of Virginia voters. 

Tazwell is in southwestern Virginia. It is located 10 miles from the West Virginia border and 25 miles from Wytheville. Tazwell County which the city is its county seat backed President Donald J. Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024 with over 80% of the vote.

A Virginia state judge blocked officials from certifying the approval of new congressional maps in Old Dominion, a day after voters narrowly passed them.

Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. called the ballot measure to approve the maps "flagrantly misleading" in a ruling April 22 on a lawsuit brought by the Republican National Committee. Hurley said lawmakers had not followed the rules for the constitutional amendment that the map redrawing required.

Republicans play one desperate play.

Virginia Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement posted to social media that he would appeal the ruling and "looks forward" to defending the measure.

"An activist judge should not have power of the People's vote," Jay said.

The referendum already has faced multiple legal challenges. The Supreme Court of Virginia allowed the referendum to proceed despite a separate case before it arguing the measure, which said the new districts would "restore fairness," was unfair and misleading. The court was set to review the legality of the referendum in the coming weeks.

Kyle Kondik, an executive at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told USA TODAY on election night that "this map might not be in effect this November" but that voter approval was "definitely a huge hurdle to jump."

Democrats now hold six of the state's 11 congressional seats, but under the voter-approved maps, they are poised to have an overwhelming 10-1 advantage. The vote was part of a larger gerrymandering arms race President Donald J. Trump started last year to thwart an expected "blue wave" in the 2026 midterm elections.