Virginia Democrats have filed a long shot emergency application asking SCOTUS to stay the Virginia Supreme Court's decis [View all]

[In It to Win It]

Mark Joseph Stern
‪@mjsdc.bsky.social‬

Virginia Democrats have filed a long shot emergency application asking SCOTUS to stay the Virginia Supreme Court's decision against the new, voter-approved congressional map. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28113281-25a-application-for-stay/

Virginia Democrats want SCOTUS to restore the 10-1 congressional map that voters approved in April.

I think the VA Supreme Court decision was atrociously wrong, but it was clearly rooted in state law. SCOTUS doesn't have strong grounds to intervene in this dispute—there's no federal question.

I'm also nervous about setting a precedent whereby SCOTUS can overrule state courts' interpretation of state redistricting law. In the long run, this expansion of SCOTUS' authority would benefit Republicans over Democrats and give the conservative supermajority more power to help the GOP rig maps.

Virginia Democrats have filed a long shot emergency application asking SCOTUS to stay the Virginia Supreme Court's decision against the new, voter-approved congressional map. www.documentcloud.org/documents/28...

— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjsdc.bsky.social) 2026-05-11T19:49:22.652Z