Virginia voters today delivered a resounding victory for democracy and accountability, approving the redistricting referendum in a decisive win for fair representation. The NAACP Virginia State Conference celebrates this landmark outcome and credits the result to a historic mobilization of Black voters across the Commonwealth.
“They sent lies to our doors,” said Rev. Cozy Bailey, President of the NAACP Virginia State Conference. “They tried to confuse us, discourage us, and keep us home. But we came anyway — and in numbers that could not be ignored. Tonight, Virginia has a message for every extremist lawmaker in this country who thinks they can rig the rules and silence our communities: we see you, and we defy you.”
The referendum’s passage is a landmark moment in the national fight against partisan gerrymandering. As extremist lawmakers have redrawn maps in five states to suppress Black voting power ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Virginia has demonstrated that organized communities can fight back — and win. The NAACP will carry Virginia’s model into mid-decade redistricting fights across the country, using this campaign as a blueprint for driving Black voter turnout in the midterm election cycle.
“Virginia proved what we have always known: organized communities win,” said Rev. Bailey. “We will not rest. The fight for fair representation does not end at the ballot box — it begins there. We are taking this victory and this momentum into every redistricting battle across this country.”