Welcome to the Commonwealth of Virginia, where Democrats officially tightened their grip on power Saturday at noon as Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as governor. Virginia has long leaned blue, but now it’s racing headlong toward one-party rule—and Democrats intend to lock it in for a generation. That reality has Vice President JD Vance furious, and for good reason.
Vance took to X to vent his frustration, blasting Indiana Republicans for their utter failure to act on redistricting late last year. His message was unmistakable: while Republicans dither and cower, Democrats play to win. And here’s the part conservatives should find alarming—Virginia Democrats will not make the same mistake. They know exactly what’s at stake ahead of this year’s midterms, and they will use every ounce of power they have to rig the board in their favor.
In his post, Vance singled out Indiana Republican Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, accusing him of “not even trying to fight back against this extraordinary Democrat abuse of power.” That criticism is well earned. When Democrats weaponize redistricting, they’re praised as savvy political operators. When Republicans refuse to respond in kind, they’re not being principled—they’re being negligent.
Here’s what’s really happening.
The vice president’s comments Saturday weren’t made in a vacuum. They came in direct response to a post from Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, who was sounding the alarm after a late-Friday vote in Virginia’s Democrat-controlled House of Delegates. And she had every reason to be concerned.
Democrats had just voted to advance a constitutional amendment designed for one purpose: reopening congressional maps so they can redraw them to their advantage. The goal isn’t subtle. If successful, the new map could hand Democrats as many as four additional seats in Congress—manufactured power, not earned support.
One of those seats just happens to belong to Kiggans.
Here’s how the endgame is shaping up.
Before Democrats can pull the trigger, the redistricting amendment has to clear a voter referendum. But with Democrat Abigail Spanberger now comfortably installed in the Governor’s Mansion, expect that referendum to be scheduled strategically—most likely sometime in April—giving Democrats plenty of runway to implement a new map ahead of the November midterms if it passes. The timing isn’t accidental; it’s calculated.
Now, could Republicans fight back and try to stop the referendum? In theory, yes. In reality, no. The results from last November tell the real story: Republicans have effectively surrendered Virginia. The state GOP is broke, disorganized, and abandoned by national leadership. Without serious money, serious messaging, and serious political muscle flooding into the commonwealth right now, this fight is already over.
The likely outcome is staggering. Democrats currently hold 6 of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats. After redistricting, that number could jump to 10. Republicans would be reduced from 5 seats to a single survivor—one lonely district tucked away in the sparsely populated, deeply conservative southwest corner of the state. One seat. Out of eleven. In what was once considered a competitive swing state.
And here’s the bitter irony: Virginians already addressed this issue just a few years ago. In 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment stripping the legislature of its redistricting power and handing it to a bipartisan commission. That amendment passed with roughly 65.7 percent of the statewide vote. Voters thought they were shutting down partisan map-rigging for good.
Now Democrats want to undo it—because it no longer serves their interests. Meanwhile, a few Republicans who are butthurt over something Trump said won’t fight for their own constituents in a state he won by 20 points.
Vance is right. That’s beyond pathetic. His anger isn’t theatrics; it’s a warning. The left understands that power, once surrendered, is rarely regained. And unless Republicans start acting like a party that actually wants to win, Virginia’s slide into permanent deep-blue status will be just the beginning.