AFT President Criticizes Virginia Supreme Court's Redistricting Ruling

Virginia Supreme Court Overturns Special Election on Redistricting

WASHINGTON—In a significant ruling, the Virginia Supreme Court has overturned the Commonwealth’s special election held on April 21 regarding redistricting. The decision has sparked responses from various stakeholders, including AFT President Randi Weingarten.

Weingarten criticized the court's ruling, stating, "The Virginia Supreme Court’s decision puts politics over the will of the people. A vote cast by millions across the Commonwealth should supersede other redistricting efforts by state legislators. But here, when the voters decide to redistrict, they are told they can’t by the very same court that allowed the issue to move forward. And when Republican-led state legislatures change the rules mid-election, even suspending elections or ignoring tornado warnings to disenfranchise Black voters, that’s allowed. This is a signal that something is wrong in America. The people of this country should be allowed to decide who represents them, not a mid-decade gerrymander started by a president afraid that his policies are so unpopular he would lose a congressional majority.”

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) represents a diverse group of professionals, including 1.8 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school-related personnel. The organization also includes higher education faculty and professional staff, as well as federal, state, and local government employees, nurses, healthcare workers, and early childhood educators.