Republicans leave out Trump while stumping against redistricting in Roanoke
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares urged Roanoke Republicans on Tuesday night to “vote no” on the state’s proposed congressional map, calling the issue one of “basic fairness.”
Speaking to about 50 people packed into the event room at Montano’s Restaurant, Miyares joined Rep. Morgan Griffith and other prominent Republicans in campaigning against the new map in Southwest Virginia.
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican, points to the proposed map that would likely give Democrats 10 of the 11 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at Montano’s Restaurant in Roanoke, Tuesday, March 18, 2026.
The proposal would give Democrats an advantage in 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats. The current map includes six Democratic districts and five Republican ones.
Despite kicking off the nationwide redistricting race, President Donald Trump did not come up in remarks from Miyares or Griffith on Tuesday. Instead, both focused on defending the current map, arguing that the new proposal would “disenfranchise voters” and reflects the “dishonesty of Democrats.”
“They want to silence your voice,” Miyares said. “They’re trying to sneak this in. Why? Because they don’t like you. They have a message to rural Virginia: ‘Sit down and shut up.’”
Why Democrats want a new map
Mid-decade redistricting is unusual. States typically redraw congressional maps every 10 years. Since 2020, Virginia has used an independent commission — one of only seven states to do so — rather than the legislature.
To bypass that process, voters must approve a constitutional amendment in a statewide referendum that runs through April 21.
Attendees listen to Jason Miyares in the event room of Montano’s Restaurant.
The amendment would give the legislature temporary authority to redraw the map to counter redistricting efforts in Republican-led states. It would return that authority to the independent commission in 2031.
Virginia Democrats’ effort is in direct response to Trump’s call for Texas Republicans to redraw their congressional map to gain five seats, which he said the GOP is “entitled” to.
Miyares, however, argued Democrats fired the starting gun, pointing to an effort in New York to redraw its only Republican district.
A New York court had ordered that redraw after finding the district lines disenfranchised Black and Hispanic voters. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked that order earlier this month, leaving the current map in place.
Jason Miyares speaks Tuesday.
“By the way, more blue states have done mid-decade redistricting now than red states,” Miyares said. “That’s another thing the legacy media has missed.”
Six states — California, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Utah — have already implemented new congressional maps. Of those, only California has a fully Democratic-controlled state government, and North Carolina has a Democratic governor.
Republicans criticize districts, timing
Miyares also emphasized how significantly the proposal would alter Virginia’s congressional landscape. He repeatedly cited Augusta County, where residents would have three different congressional representatives under the new map.
One of those representatives — from the 6th District — would also represent Roanoke and many rural parts of the state.
“What they don’t tell you is they put every single college town they could in the 6th District,” Miyares said, noting that the district includes Virginia Tech, James Madison University and the University of Virginia — areas that tend to vote Democratic.
Another point of contention is the timing of the vote. Miyares said Democrats are hoping for low turnout in April and asked those in attendance to vote and bring the “people you worship with” along.
Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, campaigns against redistricting in Christiansburg on March 13.
For Griffith, who represents the 9th District — the only district expected to remain Republican under the proposal — a central argument is that the Virginia Supreme Court approved the current map.
“You make the comparison between the Virginia Supreme Court-approved maps and the politician-drawn maps,” Griffith said Friday at an anti-redistriciting event in Christiansburg. “These maps are the facts. You be the judge. I think you will decide the Supreme Court-approved maps are fair for all of Virginia.
“The politician-drawn maps are not fair,” he said.
Ethan Hunt (540) 381-1678
