‘Founding Fathers Turning Over in Graves by What Dems are Doing in Virginia’
A growing battle over congressional redistricting in Virginia could determine which party controls the U.S. House — and one Republican strategist is warning Democrats are attempting to “eradicate” GOP representation in a key swing state.
During an interview on The Todd Starnes Show, Republican media strategist Joshua Jones blasted what he described as a coordinated effort by Democrats to redraw district lines in their favor — a move he says is less about fairness and more about securing long-term political power.
“It’s a shameless power grab from redistricting or trying to redistrict Virginia that draw out four Republican seats and essentially eradicating Republican representation from the state, even though we’re a swing state that’s almost split down the middle,” Jones told Starnes.
The stakes are enormous. Control of the United States House of Representatives could hinge on just a handful of seats in the 2026 election cycle, and Republicans argue that Virginia — historically competitive — is being manipulated to tilt the balance.
Jones said the proposed redistricting push would undo reforms implemented just a few years ago, when voters approved a bipartisan system designed to ensure fair maps.
“Well, news flash, we did that in 2020 when we passed the constitutional amendment… establishing a nonpartisan commission to draw fair maps in Virginia, and we have some of the fairest in the country as of right now,” he said.
He also took aim at the ballot language tied to the redistricting effort, calling it deliberately misleading to voters.
“The question as it appears on the ballot is the most egregious, most misleading thing I’ve seen in politics in a very long time,” Jones said, warning that average voters could be tricked into supporting changes they don’t fully understand.
Jones further accused Democrats — including Gov. Abigail Spanberger — of abandoning prior commitments to fair redistricting once in power.
“Governor Spanberger, when she was a candidate, echoed those positions of not wanting to redraw the lines. Guess what happens when she becomes governor, just like every other Democrat? They run to the left and just cater to the leftist base,” he said.
Republicans, including former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, have also raised concerns about preserving fair maps and maintaining competitive districts.
“What Abigail Spanberger has done is lie to everybody in the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said at a rally in Bridgewater, Virginia.
During his time in office, Youngkin warned against partisan interference in the redistricting process, stating that Virginia’s system was designed so that “politicians shouldn’t pick their voters — voters should pick their representatives,” and emphasizing that reforms were meant to ensure “fair and transparent maps for Virginians” (public statements reported by multiple outlets including the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Associated Press).
Critics argue that any attempt to redraw lines now would undermine that principle and effectively allow Democrats to engineer outcomes favorable to their party.
Jones tied the issue directly to national implications, warning that what’s happening in Virginia could ripple far beyond state lines.
“This just speaks to what the Democrats’ priorities… are,” he said. “They’re not focused on cost of living. They are not focused on affordability.”
Instead, he argued, the focus is squarely on consolidating power.
With early voting underway and polls showing a divided electorate, the outcome of the redistricting fight could prove decisive — not just for Virginia voters, but for the balance of power in Washington.
And as Jones made clear, Republicans see the battle as nothing less than a fight to stop Democrats from redrawing the political map — and the future of Congress — in their favor.