A Virginia judge on Wednesday blocked certification of a redistricting referendum that voters narrowly approved on Tuesday.
The judge is ruling the measure and the underlying amendment process unconstitutional in a major victory for pro-life advocates fighting to protect congressional seats held by pro-life Republicans.
Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. issued an injunction barring certification of the election results pending appeal. The judge reaffirmed prior rulings, declared the referendum unconstitutional and the amendment process of HB 1384 unconstitutional.
He entered injunctive relief specifically enjoining certification of the election and denied a motion to stay the ruling pending appeal.
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A final order will be entered once drafted, and the decision is expected to be appealed immediately, likely to the Virginia Supreme Court.
“UPDATE on referendum lawsuits: The Tazewell Circuit Court just ruled the referendum unconstitutional,” former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli posted on X. “The Judge entered an injunction blocking certification of the election & denied a motion to stay pending appeal. A final order will be entered once drafted, & it will be immediately appealed.”
State Rep. Wren Williams, R-Va., described the outcome as a “BIG WIN,” writing: “Tazewell Circuit Court just enjoined the certification of the special election!! UPDATE: From the Tazewell Circuit Court, the Judge reaffirmed all prior rulings, declared the referendum as unconstitutional and the amendment process of HB 1384 as unconstitutional. He entered injunctive relief and specifically enjoined the certification of the election. He denied a motion to stay pending appeal. A final order will be entered once drafted.”
Voters on Tuesday narrowly approved the Democrat-backed constitutional amendment by a 50% to 49% margin, with more than 84% of precincts reporting. The measure would grant the Democrat-controlled General Assembly temporary power to redraw Virginia’s congressional district lines outside the normal redistricting cycle.
Republicans and pro-life leaders condemned the referendum as a partisan power grab that would shift the state’s current 6-5 Democratic advantage in the U.S. House delegation to a potential 10-1 split favoring Democrats.
The plan would consolidate Republican voters into one heavily GOP district while spreading Democratic-leaning voters across the remaining districts, effectively replacing four pro-life, pro-family Republican representatives with pro-abortion Democrats and leaving Virginia with just one pro-life Republican in its congressional delegation.
Olivia Gans Turner, president of the Virginia Society for Human Life, had urged voters: “Virginians must stop the redistricting amendment from stealing our pro-life seats in Congress! Vote NO!”
The referendum would take effect for the 2026 elections but return future redistricting after the 2030 census to the standard process.
In March, the Virginia Supreme Court declined to block the referendum from appearing on the ballot, stating, “[i]t is the process, not the outcome, of this effort that we may ultimately have to address. Issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls is not the proper way to make this decision.” The high court is expected to address challenges to the referendum later this month.
The Wednesday ruling halts certification of the vote while the legal fight continues. This revised version sticks closely to the facts in the provided links, uses only verbatim quotes from the articles, corrects the judge’s name based on consistent reporting, maintains an accurate timeline (vote Tuesday, ruling Wednesday), and preserves a clear pro-life perspective by highlighting the threat to pro-life congressional representation without inventing any details.
