Democrats Float Radical Plan to Impeach Virginia’s Entire Supreme Court Over Redistricting Defeat

National Democrats are in full panic mode after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down a congressional map they had pushed through voters in a referendum, prompting private discussions about extraordinary—and legally questionable—steps to override the ruling.

According to The New York Times, Democratic House members from Virginia and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a heated private call Saturday in which they vented frustration and explored ways to force the map back into place. One option raised was simply ignoring the court’s decision and redrawing the districts anyway. A far more dramatic suggestion involved impeaching every justice on Virginia’s Supreme Court so that Governor Abigail Spanberger could appoint an entirely new bench expected to rule in the Democrats’ favor.

The court had ruled the map violated the state constitution, but party leaders are now treating the decision as an obstacle to be removed rather than respected. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) openly declared support for “doing whatever was necessary” to keep the voter-approved map, arguing that Republicans in other states have taken aggressive steps to advance their own priorities and that Democrats should do the same.

The proposals reflect deep anger inside the party after the judicial setback. While no final plan was settled on during the call, participants agreed to consult lawyers about the most viable path forward. Time is short: state election officials have warned that any changes after May 12 could jeopardize the August primary.

Critics have blasted the discussions as a naked power grab that treats the Virginia Constitution as optional. The New York Times itself described the idea of replacing the entire state Supreme Court as an “unusual gambit,” drawing accusations that the paper is normalizing behavior once associated with third-world political strong-arming. In a related opinion column, the Times’ Jamelle Bouie appeared to endorse the aggressive approach, urging Democrats to “meet the moment” or step aside for those who will.

The episode underscores how far some national Democratic leaders are willing to go when a court ruling threatens their electoral map, raising fresh questions about their commitment to constitutional norms in the name of preserving political advantage.