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Fairfax County would be divided among five congressional districts under a new Virginia redistricting proposal designed to give Democrats an advantage in 10 of the state’s 11 seats.
Virginia Democratic leaders unveiled the map on Feb. 5 as a response to Republican-led redistricting efforts in Texas, North Carolina and Missouri ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections. The plan would significantly reshape Northern Virginia, the state’s strongest Democratic region.
Fairfax County is currently divided among the 8th, 10th and 11th districts. Under the proposal, five districts would claim portions of the county, with several extending west into more rural communities. One would reach Shenandoah County.
The proposed Fairfax County divisions include:
- 1st District: Franconia, Hayfield, Newington, Rose Hill, Woodlawn and portions of Springfield, Bailey’s Crossroads and Lorton
- 7th District: Annandale, Burke, West Springfield, West Falls Church and Pimmit Hills
- 8th District: Groveton, Fort Hunt, Hybla Valley, Mount Vernon and portions of Fort Belvoir and Lorton
- 10th District: Chantilly, Fair Oaks and Herndon
- 11th District: Fairfax City, Great Falls, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Tysons and Vienna
The proposed lines have raised concerns that Northern Virginia’s representation could be weakened by combining its increasingly urban communities with politically different rural areas.
Senate President pro tempore L. Louise Lucas, a Portsmouth Democrat, described the plan as an effort to “level the playing field.”
“These are not ordinary times, and Virginia will not sit on the sidelines while it happens,” Lucas said. “We said 10-1 and we meant it, and we are proud to deliver a map that stands up for democracy.”
House Speaker Don Scott, also a Portsmouth Democrat, said the maps were being released publicly so they could be debated and ultimately considered by Virginia voters.
“We’re going to leave it up to the Virginia voters,” Scott said. “Maps are ready, Virginia’s ready.”
Democratic margins would shift
Creating a map favoring Democrats in 10 districts would make some Northern Virginia seats more competitive for Republicans, though they would probably continue to lean Democratic.
The existing 11th District, which includes Reston, Tysons and Fairfax City, backed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by 34 percentage points in 2024. Rep. James Walkinshaw’s redrawn district would remain strongly Democratic, but its estimated advantage would fall to 14 points.
Rep. Don Beyer’s neighboring 8th District, now composed of portions of Arlington and Alexandria, would experience a similarly steep reduction in its Democratic margin.
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam’s 10th District would move in the opposite direction and become more reliably Democratic. That district is currently centered in Loudoun and Prince William counties while also including the Clifton area of Fairfax County.
Voters and courts could determine the outcome
Mid-decade redistricting would require an amendment to the Virginia Constitution. HJ4 would authorize the General Assembly to revise congressional districts before Oct. 31, 2030, transferring that authority from the bipartisan redistricting commission created in 2020.
The House of Delegates and state Senate approved the measure, and Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed it on Feb. 6. The amendment would still need voter approval in an election tentatively planned for April.
Whether that special election can proceed remains unsettled. A Tazewell County judge ruled in January that Democrats had not followed the required procedure in their late effort to redraw the congressional map for 2026. The Virginia Supreme Court is expected to review that decision.