President Trump said Wednesday that Virginia’s redistricting referendum was “rigged,” saying Republicans were ahead in the voting against the Democratic-proposed map until a “massive mail in ballot drop” helped Democrats win.
“All day long [Tuesday] Republicans were winning, the Spirit was unbelievable, until the very end when, of course, there was a massive ‘Mail In Ballot Drop!’ Where have I heard that before — And the Democrats eked out another Crooked Victory!” Mr. Trump said on social media.
He offered no evidence of his claim about mail-in ballots.
A narrow majority of voters said “yes” Tuesday to a ballot question asking to allow the Virginia General Assembly to temporarily create new congressional districts in what proponents said would “restore fairness in the upcoming elections.”
The measure passed by 51.5% to 48.6%, with 97% of the vote counted on Wednesday.
Democratic leaders in the state sought voter permission for outright gerrymandering in order to counter partisan congressional maps carved in Texas and other red states done at the urging of Mr. Trump.
SEE ALSO: Republicans lose in Virginia redistricting referendum but fight on in the state’s high court
The president noted that Virginia’s eleven House districts have gone from six Democrats and five Republicans to a map that virtually assures 10 Democratic seats and one Republican.
“…and yet the Presidential Election in November was very close to a 50-50 split. In addition to everything else, the language on the Referendum was purposefully unintelligible and deceptive,” Mr. Trump said.
In the 2024 presidential election, Democrat Kamala Harris defeated Mr. Trump by 52% to 46%, a split roughly reflected in the state’s current U.S. House delegation of six Democrats and five Republicans.
“As everyone knows, I am an extraordinarily brilliant person, and even I had no idea what the hell they were talking about in the Referendum, and neither do they! Let’s see if the Courts will fix this travesty of ‘Justice,’” the president said.
The state constitutional amendment approved by voters on Tuesday will go back to the standard once-a-decade redistricting process after the 2030 census.
Unless the state Supreme Court overturns the new map in the next few weeks, however, Tuesday’s vote will make Virginia’s congressional map the most gerrymandered in the nation.
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The Democrat-led general assembly drew congressional lines that will eliminate four Republican-leaning districts.
Republican National Committee press secretary Kiersten Pels said in a statement that “46% of Virginians voted Republican in the last federal election, yet Democrats are rigging the system to cling to power and silence voters they can’t win over.”
“This map is an unconstitutional partisan power grab designed to disenfranchise millions of voters and tilt the playing field,” she said. “[Gov.] Abigail Spanberger broke her promise to Virginians by advancing a gerrymandered map that serves her party’s interests after pledging she would not. The RNC will continue this fight in court to protect Virginia voters and ensure fair representation across the Commonwealth.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin lauded his party’s win, saying, “Virginians refused to let Trump play games with Americans’ right to fair representation. Voters are turning out in droves to put an end to Trump’s billionaire-first agenda and Republicans see the writing on the wall. “
He said, “Thanks to Virginians, [House Democratic leader Hakeem] Jeffries [of New York], Governor Spanberger, and Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly, Republicans can’t cheat their way out of accountability in 2026.”
