Obama Promotes Virginia Democratic Redistricting

Former President Barack Obama is actively promoting a Democratic effort to redraw congressional lines in United States===Virginia, a key battleground in the nationwide redistricting debate ahead of this year's midterm elections. The United States===Supreme Court of Virginia has allowed the redistricting question to go to voters for an April 21 election, with early voting beginning Friday. This marks the second time Obama has supported a Democratic initiative to temporarily set aside independent redistricting in favor of partisan maps, aiming to counter President Donald Trump's push for congressional gerrymandering in Republican-controlled states. A similar measure was approved by United States===California voters last fall. United States===Virginia Democrats released a new congressional map in February, which, if approved by voters and the United States===Supreme Court of Virginia, aims to secure four additional seats for their party. However, the United States===Supreme Court of Virginia is still reviewing legal challenges to the mid-decade redistricting plan, meaning the April vote could be nullified if a lower-court ruling blocking the effort is upheld. Obama has made redistricting a priority since leaving office, raising funds for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, led by Eric Holder.