How Much Taxpayer Money Did Democrats Spend Trying To Gerrymander Virginia?
'A big waste of money'
Virginia Democrats get bad news about legally dubious gerrymandering effort
The Virginia Supreme Court heard arguments on Monday in Scott v. McDougle, a case initially brought before Tazewell County Circuit Judge Jack Hurley Jr. that could determine whether Old Dominion ultimately adopts a gerrymandered map that would all but guarantee that 10 out of the state's 11 congressional seats go to Democrats in the upcoming midterm election.
On April 21, Virginia voters passed the redistricting referendum, but the next day, Hurley blocked certification of the result, ruffling the feathers of Democrats who eagerly want to see the result certified.
Hurley ruled in January that the constitutional amendment that ended up on the April 21 ballot was unlawful. He then declared on April 22 in a related case about the constitutional amendment — Koski v. Republican National Committee — that:
- the Virginia General Assembly illegitimately usurped the powers of the Virginia Redistricting Commission;
- the legislation that prompted the special election for the amendment violated the submission, timing, and form of laws clauses of the Virginia Constitution; and
- "any and all votes for or against the proposed constitutional amendment in the April 21, 2026, special election are ineffective."
The judge granted the Republican plaintiffs in the Koski case a permanent injunction against certification, noting that they "will be irreparably harmed absent permanent injunctive relief because of the numerous violations of the constitutional amendment process and because Congressmen [Ben] Cline and [Morgan] Griffith would be irreparably harmed by their districts changing at this juncture."
On April 24, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (D) filed a motion for an emergency stay of Hurley's order in the Koski case.
The Virginia Supreme Court delivered Jones and other Democrats bad news on Tuesday, denying them their coveted emergency stay.
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Former Republican Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli said in response to the court's rejection of the Democratic motion that "in the 'tea leaves' category, this is as positive a 'tea leaf' as one might imagine" with regard to the Scott case.
Cuccinelli said that if the Virginia Supreme Court "thought they would let the referendum stand, then logically they would have lifted the injunction on counting & certifying the votes."
Virginia Del. Wren Williams (R) wrote, "The same Supreme Court that allowed the referendum to go forward in March, so voters could be heard, has now declined to override a final judgment finding the constitutional amendment process defective. Strong signal that process matters in Virginia."
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Will the Iran war tip the scales in the race to replace MTG?
The special election to replace former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia could have a lot more to do with foreign policy than candidates initially anticipated.
Greene's falling out with President Donald Trump marked a major fracture within the GOP, prompting a special election to fill her seat on Tuesday. Apart from the typical party distinctions, foreign policy could be the deciding factor between the Democrat and Republican nominees vying to represent Georgia's 14th congressional district.
'He has gone insane, and all of you are complicit.'
Democratic nominee Shawn Harris has taken a harsh stance against the ongoing war in Iran, which has become increasingly unpopular with voters, while Republican nominee Clay Fuller has remained a supporter of the conflict.
The horseshoe theory about the political spectrum seems to be in full swing as Greene's increasingly critical remarks about the war and the Trump administration more broadly seem to echo Harris' positions far more than Fuller's.
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Days before the special election, Greene doubled down on her criticism of the war, condemning Trump's Easter ultimatum to Iran.
"Everyone in his administration that claims to be a Christian needs to fall on their knees and beg forgiveness from God and stop worshipping the President and intervene in Trump’s madness," Greene said in a response to Trump's post threatening to attack civilian infrastructure like power plants and bridges. "I know all of you and him and he has gone insane, and all of you are complicit."
"Trump threatening to bomb power plants and bridges hurts the Iranian people, the very people Trump claimed he was freeing," Greene added. "On Easter, of all days, we as Christians should be reminded that the son of God died and rose from the grave so that we can be forgiven once and for all of our sins. Jesus commanded us to love one another and forgive one another. Even our enemies."
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Greene has refrained from endorsing either candidate, although Fuller has secured support from Trump. While an endorsement from Trump would typically all but guarantee the candidate's success, especially in a rural, red district in Georgia, Harris narrowly outperformed his Republican challenger in March.
In a crowded 17-candidate race, Harris brought in 37% while Fuller finished with 35%. The candidates' respective numbers were likely affected by the many candidates who no longer qualify for Tuesday's election. It should also be noted that a Trump-endorsed Greene beat Harris by nearly 30% back in 2024.
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Democrats’ latest victory in deep-red Mar-a-Lago district offers bleak midterm forecast
Republicans are facing yet another brutal electoral loss after Democrat Emily Gregory sailed through her special election in a deep-red district.
Gregory was elected to represent the 87th district in the Florida House Tuesday night, securing 51.2% of the vote while her Republican opponent, Jon Maples, won just 48.8% of the vote. This district, which includes President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, was previously held by Republican Mike Caruso.
Republicans have not flipped a single Democrat-held seat since Trump was elected.
Caruso, who vacated his seat in August to become Palm Beach County clerk of the circuit court and comptroller, won the seat by 19 points in 2024. Similarly, Trump won the district by 11 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Gregory's victory is hardly an outlier. Since Trump was elected in November 2024, Democrats have managed to flip dozens of seats in key elections and have come uncomfortably close to defeating other Republicans in deep-red districts.
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In 2025 alone, Democrats flipped 25 state Senate and House seats previously held by Republicans out of the 119 seats that were up for grabs through special or regular elections. Democrats flipped 13 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates alone and another five seats in the New Jersey General Assembly, even breaking a supermajority in Mississippi.
Democrats flipped another nine seats, including local elections in Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, New Hampshire, and Arkansas.
With Gregory's victory Tuesday night, Democrats have successfully flipped 29 seats previously held by Republicans.
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In contrast, Republicans have not flipped a single Democrat-held seat since Trump was elected in November 2024, offering a bleak forecast for the GOP going into the 2026 midterms.
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'Nobody's history is perfect': Democrat Muhammad Casim loses election in historically blue district
In a major upset, a Republican has finally made an inroad in what was once considered a safe Democratic county in Virginia.
Democratic candidate Muhammad "Sef" Casim lost a special election for a vacant seat on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors to Republican Jeannie LaCroix following a precipitous loss of support from his own party.
'I want to make clear that the foolishness of my actions during my college days did not translate then, and most definitely does not indicate now, any prejudice or hatred I hold towards the Black community.'
On March 10, LaCroix received 1,694 (43.73%) of the votes compared to Casim's 1,436 (37.07%). Democrat Pamela Montgomery, a write-in candidate who launched her campaign barely one week before the election, drew from Casim's votes, though how many is unclear, according to WJLA.
Casim faced calls from his own party to back out of the race after past social media posts, which he described as "offensive to the Black community," resurfaced during his campaign.
Prince William County Republican County Chairman Jacob Alderman called for the immediate withdrawal of support for Casim, posting screenshots of many of Casim's past posts and reposts, which he described as "a disturbing pattern of racist, misogynistic, antisemitic, anti-Christian, and anti-American views."
The posts, which come from X, all appear to be from over a decade ago, with many of them dated between 2012 and 2015.
Posts include Casim allegedly writing or reposting other accounts saying: “Never call a tiger ‘tigga.’ Only tigers can call themselves ‘tigga’”; “This girl’s fav match going on, No dangerous Hindu male”; “the person below is a dirty slut”; and "Heading ot [sic] VCU in the morning with my N***a."
Casim wrote an apology on Facebook on February 28: "Nobody’s history is perfect and I am no exception. 14 years ago I had made social media posts that were disrespectful and posted a reference to my friend using a term that is quite frankly, offensive to the Black community. There is no excuse for this and I deeply apologize. I want to make clear that the foolishness of my actions during my college days did not translate then, and most definitely does not indicate now, any prejudice or hatred I hold towards the Black community."
Potomac Local reported that several Democratic elected officials called on Casim to step away from the race over the "racist, xenophobic, and misogynistic" remarks.
Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chair Deshundra Jefferson issued a separate statement on March 2 criticizing Casim's past remarks — and his apology. “I am deeply disgusted by the past comments Sufiyan Casim made — as well as his lack of responsibility and accountability. No apology should start with the words, ‘Nobody’s history is perfect and I am no exception,’ as it dismisses the pain that one’s words have caused,” Jefferson stated.
LaCroix will assume the role of Woodbridge District supervisor following the election upset, which was triggered after former Supervisor Margaret Franklin won election to the Virginia House of Delegates 23rd District in January.
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Battle over MTG's former seat goes unresolved on election night — but Trump-backed Republican tastes victory
Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) called it quits and left office on Jan. 5, leaving Georgia's 14th congressional district up for grabs.
Shawn Harris — a Democratic retired brigadier general who was previously defeated by Greene in a landslide — attempted to take the seat in Tuesday's free-for-all special election. He was, however, thwarted by Clay Fuller, a hard-nosed Republican who served in the Air National Guard and left his role as district attorney to run for Congress.
'TOO BIG TO RIG.'
With over 95% of the votes in as of Wednesday morning, Fuller — whom President Donald Trump characterized as an "America First Patriot" in his endorsement last month — had secured 34.9% of the total vote, reported the Associated Press.
Trump's pick handily outperformed over 10 other Republican contenders, including former Georgia state Sen. Colton Moore, who identified himself on the campaign as "Trump's #1 Defender for Georgia's 14th Congressional District." Moore received 11.6% of the vote.
The other Republican candidates couldn't crack 5%.
Harris, alternatively, managed to secure 37.3% of the vote.
As neither Harris nor Fuller reached the necessary 50% plus one vote to take the district outright, they are headed to a head-to-head runoff election on April 7 where Trump's pick won't have to compete with fellow Republicans.
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Fuller told reporters at his election night watch party, "I would describe this as an outright win."
"We know that the endorsement from President Trump made a difference in this race, and we're going to go and win it," continued the candidate. "I think it's time that the Republican vote unites and gets a representative to Capitol Hill as soon as possible."
Trump noted just before midnight, "Congratulations to Clay Fuller, of Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, on getting such a high percentage of the vote with 12 Republicans running. We want to make the next vote 'TOO BIG TO RIG.' Clay will be a GREAT Congressman — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
Notwithstanding his opponent's performance in a crowded Republican field, Harris claimed, "This race isn't over."
"Momentum is real. The coalition is growing," continued Harris. "Let’s finish what we started."
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All optics? Democrats claim 'historic victory' flipping deep-red Texas Senate district — but here's what they omit
Democratic allies and legacy media outlets are celebrating Taylor Rehmet's victory in Texas Senate District 9's special runoff as a historic upset for Republicans — but they fail to note that Rehmet will likely never even cast a vote unless he wins again later this year.
Mark Lucas, the founder of Veteran Action, stated that a progressive political action committee funded by George Soros spent $500,000 to flip the Texas Senate race in a district where President Donald Trump secured a 17-point victory.
'The Democrats were energized. Too many Republicans stayed home.'
"My org @VeteranAction is incredibly important to counter the left's attempt to chip away at the veteran vote — something the GOP cannot afford to take for granted," Lucas wrote. "Meanwhile, the radical left is investing heavily to recruit veteran candidates to retake the House in 2026. They will quickly impeach Trump and obstruct our AMERICA FIRST agenda."
George Soros' Open Society Foundations provided $2.58 million in grants to VoteVets Action Fund from 2019 to 2024, according to the foundation's website. The grants included support for the organization's advocacy of "progressive, diplomacy-first foreign policy," "congressional war powers," and "preventing executive abuse."
On January 31, VoteVets announced in a post on X that it was proud to have endorsed and financially supported Rehmet with "over $500K" in an independent expenditure.
Rehmet defeated Republican opponent Leigh Wambsganss, securing a 14-point victory.
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VoteVets celebrated Rehmet's victory in flipping the district blue in the special runoff election, noting that a Democrat had not been elected in decades.
Legacy media outlets and Rehmet's Democratic supporters have portrayed the election as a massive political upset for Republicans.
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Despite the substantial funds the Democrats invested in the race, it seems these efforts were primarily for show, as the seat will be contested again in November 2026 for a full four-year term. Further, the Republicans in the Texas Senate hold a solid majority, and the legislature is not in session until January 2027.
The Texas Scorecard noted that the special election runoff saw low turnout, with just under 95,000 ballots cast, representing roughly 15% of all registered voters.
Rehmet and Wambsganss are expected to run against one another again in the November election.
Wambsganss called the January 31 election results "a wakeup call for Republicans in Tarrant County, Texas, and the nation."
"The Democrats were energized. Too many Republicans stayed home. ... Mr. Rehmet and I will face each other again in November, and I fully expect the results to be different," she stated. "The dynamics of a Special Election are fundamentally different from a November General Election."
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