The Republican National Committee filed suit Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Tazewell County seeking to block Virginia’s planned April 21 referendum on a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow mid-decade congressional redistricting.

The RNC, joined by the National Republican Congressional Committee and GOP Reps. Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith, is requesting emergency injunctive relief and a declaratory judgment to halt the vote. The complaint argues the amendment process violates Article XII of the Virginia Constitution because it allegedly did not comply with the required intervening general election procedure and that the ballot language differs from what lawmakers approved.

Under Virginia law, constitutional amendments must pass the General Assembly in two separate sessions with a general election between votes before being submitted to voters. Plaintiffs contend that requirement was not properly satisfied and that the April referendum is being rushed. The lawsuit also challenges House Bill 1384, which schedules the special election and allocates $5 million in funding, noting that early voting is set to begin March 6.

According to the filing, the amendment would temporarily transfer congressional map-drawing authority from the Virginia Redistricting Commission — established by voters in 2020 to oversee nonpartisan redistricting — back to the Democrat-controlled General Assembly. The ballot language asks voters whether the constitution should be amended to permit lawmakers to adopt new districts “to restore fairness in the upcoming elections,” while maintaining the standard redistricting process after the 2030 Census.

RNC Chair Joe Gruters accused Virginia Democrats of attempting to “ram through an illegal redistricting scheme,” arguing the move could reshape the state’s current 6-5 Republican majority in its 11-member U.S. House delegation. The complaint asserts that up to four GOP-held seats could be vulnerable if new maps are enacted.

The dispute unfolds amid broader national tensions over rare mid-cycle redistricting efforts in both Republican- and Democrat-led states, as control of the U.S. House continues to hinge on narrow margins. Republicans argue that even modest shifts in a competitive state like Virginia could carry significant implications for the balance of power in upcoming midterm elections.