Richmond, Virginia - Virginians voted Tuesday to back a new electoral map that could hand Democrats four more seats in the House of Representatives, turning President Donald Trump's redistricting push into a potential liability for Republicans in upcoming midterm elections.

The battle over gerrymandering has become one of the defining fights of the campaign for November's congressional contests.

The state voted in a referendum to let officials redraw the congressional map before the next scheduled nationwide redistricting in 2030, giving Democrats a strong advantage in 10 of the state's 11 House districts, up from their previous 6-5 edge.

With control of the House on a knife's edge, the vote makes it more likely that Trump will be forced to finish his term with a Democratic legislature empowered to block his agenda and investigate his extremist administration, rather than the compliant Republican Congress he now enjoys.

Justice DOJ indicts Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center over use of paid informants

It marked a stinging defeat for Trump, who joined a telephone rally Monday night with House Speaker Mike Johnson to urge a no-vote, warning Virginians: "The whole country is watching."

Redistricting usually follows the national census every 10 years, but Trump last year urged Republican-led states to redraw maps mid-decade to protect the party's fragile House.

That triggered a tit-for-tat contest as both parties raced to squeeze out an extra advantage before November.

Texas moved first, adopting a map that could add up to five Republican seats. California answered with a ballot measure designed to give Democrats five more of their own.

"Virginia voters have spoken, and tonight they approved a temporary measure to push back against a President who claims he is 'entitled' to more Republican seats in Congress," Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, said in a statement after the referendum was called.

Democratic groups poured money into the state election, making the vote one of the most expensive redistricting fights in US history.

The main campaigns on both sides have raised nearly $100 million, much of it from "dark money" groups.

The pro-redistricting campaign Virginians for Fair Elections raised the lion's share – nearly $65 million, according to The Hill.

Donald Trump Tucker Carlson apologizes for his years as a Trump loyalist: "I misled people"

It was given an assist by former President Barack Obama, still one of the Democratic Party's most influential campaign voices, who urged Virginians to vote yes.

"Congratulations, Virginia!" he wrote in a post on X after the vote was called.

"Republicans are trying to tilt the midterm elections in their favor, but they haven't done it yet. Thanks for showing us what it looks like to stand up for our democracy and fight back."

Democrats argue that the Virginia map is a necessary counterweight to Trump's pressure campaign. Republicans call it a naked power grab in a politically mixed state where Trump took 46% of the vote in 2024.

Trump ally and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also pushing a special session that could allow Republicans to gain as many as five seats, potentially wiping out any Democratic gains in Virginia.