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Related: About this forumRep. Hakeem Jeffries describes next steps after VA redistricting ruling: 'Our fight is not over' - Velshi - MS NOW
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries describes next steps after VA redistricting ruling: "Our fight is not over." - Aired on 05/09/2026.
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Rep. Hakeem Jeffries describes next steps after VA redistricting ruling: 'Our fight is not over' - Velshi - MS NOW (Original Post)
Rhiannon12866
19 hrs ago
OP
A Private Call Reveals Democrats' Desperation Over Tossing of Map (NYT gift article)
LetMyPeopleVote
47 min ago
#2
marble falls
(72,476 posts)1. Ain't over till we get control of our state legislatures.
LetMyPeopleVote
(181,631 posts)2. A Private Call Reveals Democrats' Desperation Over Tossing of Map (NYT gift article)
I personally believe that given the ruling by Alito and other GOP gerrymandering, the steps outlined here are appropriate.
Link to tweet
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/10/us/politics/democrats-virginia-plans-gerrymandering.html?unlocked_article_code=1.hVA.KzAI.Wf17nRa9PSjl&smid=nytcore-ios-share
During a private discussion on Saturday that included Democratic House members from Virginia and Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the minority leader, the lawmakers vented anger at their defeat at the Virginia Supreme Court, spoke about a collective determination to flip two or three Republican-held seats under the existing map and discussed a bank-shot proposal to redraw the congressional lines anyway, according to three people who participated in the call and two others who were briefed on it.....
Any plans to enact a new congressional map for this years midterm elections would require action in the next few days. In a court filing last month, Steven Koski, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, said any changes to the maps after Tuesday, May 12, will significantly increase the risk of his agency being unable to properly prepare for the states scheduled Aug. 4 primary election......
One key to the plan would be having Democrats in Richmond lower the mandatory retirement age for state Supreme Court justices, an idea that began circulating among state lawmakers and members of Congress after a column proposing a version of the idea was published on Friday night in The Downballot, a progressive newsletter.
Ms. Spanberger would have to sign off on any legislation that lowered the judicial retirement age. She has not been briefed on the proposal, the people involved in the discussion or briefed on it said. Her spokeswoman, Libby Wiet, declined to comment.
The first step in the process, as discussed on the delegations call, would be to invoke a January ruling by a circuit court judge in Tazewell County, Va., that said the 2026 constitutional amendment effort to redraw the maps was invalid because county officials did not post notice of it at courthouses and other public locations three months before a general election.
Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat who represents Loudoun County, Va., said in an interview that he supported doing whatever was necessary to preserve the map voters approved in last months referendum including replacing the states Supreme Court justices.
Everyone has got to have a strong stomach right now; this is a complete disaster waiting to happen if people are timid, said Mr. Subramanyam, who was on the Saturday call. We have Republican states ignoring their constitutions and interrupting early voting and ignoring their Supreme Courts all together. We know based on that, Republicans would explore every single option possible to move this forward.....
In an interview on Friday night, before his Saturday meeting with Virginia lawmakers, Mr. Jeffries said he was exploring how to unravel this decision.
Its an all-hands-on-deck moment, and its unprecedented in American history as far as we can tell that an actual election has been overturned by a handful of unelected judges, Mr. Jeffries said. Were not going to step back, we will continue to fight back.
Any plans to enact a new congressional map for this years midterm elections would require action in the next few days. In a court filing last month, Steven Koski, the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections, said any changes to the maps after Tuesday, May 12, will significantly increase the risk of his agency being unable to properly prepare for the states scheduled Aug. 4 primary election......
One key to the plan would be having Democrats in Richmond lower the mandatory retirement age for state Supreme Court justices, an idea that began circulating among state lawmakers and members of Congress after a column proposing a version of the idea was published on Friday night in The Downballot, a progressive newsletter.
Ms. Spanberger would have to sign off on any legislation that lowered the judicial retirement age. She has not been briefed on the proposal, the people involved in the discussion or briefed on it said. Her spokeswoman, Libby Wiet, declined to comment.
The first step in the process, as discussed on the delegations call, would be to invoke a January ruling by a circuit court judge in Tazewell County, Va., that said the 2026 constitutional amendment effort to redraw the maps was invalid because county officials did not post notice of it at courthouses and other public locations three months before a general election.
Representative Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat who represents Loudoun County, Va., said in an interview that he supported doing whatever was necessary to preserve the map voters approved in last months referendum including replacing the states Supreme Court justices.
Everyone has got to have a strong stomach right now; this is a complete disaster waiting to happen if people are timid, said Mr. Subramanyam, who was on the Saturday call. We have Republican states ignoring their constitutions and interrupting early voting and ignoring their Supreme Courts all together. We know based on that, Republicans would explore every single option possible to move this forward.....
In an interview on Friday night, before his Saturday meeting with Virginia lawmakers, Mr. Jeffries said he was exploring how to unravel this decision.
Its an all-hands-on-deck moment, and its unprecedented in American history as far as we can tell that an actual election has been overturned by a handful of unelected judges, Mr. Jeffries said. Were not going to step back, we will continue to fight back.
This is a very aggressive plan which could backfire. However, this plan may be necessary to stop trump's gerrymandering.