What Does the Virginia Win Tell Us About November?

Democrats show what happens when you fight fire with fire

Last night, Democrats continued their streak of winning elections in the Trump era. In Virginia, Democrats passed a measure to allow the state to redraw its congressional districts..

This is a huge victory in the battle for control of the House this year. The Virginia congressional delegation currently comprises six Democrats and five Republicans. The new maps will likely result in a delegation with 10 Democrats and 1 Republican — a net gain of four seats for Democrats.

While Florida is still trying to redraw their maps, Democrats have largely nullified the GOP’s effort to rig the 2026 elections through mid-decade redistricting. Florida Republicans may still gain a few seats, but far fewer than anyone thought possible last year.

This sort of election is different from the congressional special elections and local races — like the recent Supreme Court race in Wisconsin — that we’ve been using as a barometer of the political environment. A singular ballot initiative in the spring, six months after a high-profile governor’s race and seven months before the midterms, is not your typical election. So we don’t want to over-interpret the results, but there are some important takeaways.

The Political Value of Standing Up to Trump

A year ago, Democrats were in a panic about Republicans gerrymandering themselves into a semi-permanent majority. But Democrats didn’t just whine, cry, or get in the fetal position. Unlike in the past, they didn’t complain about broken norms and talk about how little power they had.

They got off their asses and got to work.