Republicans rush to close the gap in the final stretch of Virginia's redistricting election

Key Points:

• Republicans in Virginia remain hopeful about defeating a redistricting referendum next week despite being heavily outspent by Democrats in the Democratic-leaning state, as recent polling shows a narrower margin than expected.
• Democrats currently hold a 3-to-1 advantage in ad spending, with $49.1 million spent compared to $17.2 million by Republicans, but the gap has narrowed significantly in recent weeks due to a recent influx of GOP funds.
• Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, have actively campaigned against the referendum, while President Trump has notably stayed out of the race, with some GOP officials seeing his absence as both a risk and a potential benefit.
• The referendum would temporarily bypass Virginia’s bipartisan redistricting commission to enact a new congressional map favoring Democrats, a move Republicans warn could shift up to four House seats to Democrats in the upcoming midterms.
• Democrats have mobilized prominent national figures, including Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, to support the referendum, signaling cautious optimism despite strong Republican turnout and competitive polling.