Virginia Democrats are facing sharp criticism over a newly proposed congressional map that opponents argue would dramatically reshape political power in the state—particularly at the expense of rural communities.

According to a new study highlighted by the , the redistricting plan backed by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and former President Barack Obama could significantly alter Virginia’s representation in the U.S. House. If approved by voters on April 21, the map would likely shift the current balance from six Democrats and five Republicans to a lopsided 10 Democrats and just one Republican.

A policy brief from Defend Forgotten America (DFA), titled “Drawn Out,” describes the proposal as a “structural demolition of rural representation,” arguing that it would effectively dilute the political voice of voters outside major metropolitan areas.

“Five congressional districts would originate in Northern Virginia’s Fairfax County and stretch their tentacles hundreds of miles south and west, through the Shenandoah Valley, the Blue Ridge, and deep into communities that have nothing in common with the D.C. suburbs except the misfortune of being attached to them on a map,” the brief states.

Critics say the proposal would break apart cohesive rural communities and merge them with urban and suburban populations that have vastly different priorities.

“Communities that share an economy, a culture, and a crisis, rural healthcare collapse, broadband gaps, agricultural decline, would be scattered across districts whose dominant constituency is congressional staffers and tech-industry commuters,” DFA’s analysis continues.

The study also points to how the map divides Fairfax County—one of the state’s most reliably Democratic regions—into five separate districts that extend into rural parts of Virginia. One of the newly proposed districts, the Seventh, has even drawn attention for its unusual shape, which observers have compared to a lobster.

The broader concern, according to DFA, is that rural voters could end up represented by lawmakers whose political base lies in Washington-area suburbs, far removed from the issues facing agricultural and small-town communities.

“The result: rural constituents in places like the Shenandoah Valley, the Piedmont, and Tidewater could end up represented by Democrats who reside in the Washington suburbs and whose electoral base has little connection to farm country, rural healthcare, or coal-impacted communities,” the brief adds.

Healthcare access is a central concern raised in the report. By dividing traditionally rural districts into multiple parts, critics argue the map could weaken advocacy for essential services.

“When the Shenandoah Valley functioned as a single coherent congressional district, its representatives had every reason to fight for rural hospital preservation, maternity care funding, and rural health workforce investment. The proposed map would divide that same Valley into four or five districts, each anchored by a suburban or urban population center where these issues are not constituent priorities,” the brief notes.

“No representative whose political survival depends on Northern Virginia commuters will show up to fight for a birthing center in Harrisonburg. The map doesn’t just split counties. It splits the political will to keep rural hospitals open,” it adds.

The proposal would also eliminate Virginia’s current Sixth Congressional District, represented by Republican Rep. Ben Cline—a seat that former President Donald Trump carried by a wide margin in the 2024 election.

DFA Action President Jenn Pellegrino echoed the group’s concerns, framing the redistricting effort as a deliberate consolidation of political power.

“This map isn’t about fairness; it’s about power. Backed by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger and her radical Left allies, their redistricting plan dismantles representation across the Commonwealth – splitting counties, stretching districts across hundreds of miles, and subordinating local communities to distant suburban power centers,” Pellegrino said.

“Defend Forgotten America Action is fighting to ensure rural Virginians, from the Southwest to Southside to the Valley, aren’t silenced, sidelined, or treated as an afterthought in their own state,” she added.

The report further alleges that the process used to produce the map undermines a 2020 constitutional amendment that created a bipartisan redistricting commission.

“The map was produced in weeks, in secret, by the legislative majority with no public input and no community testimony,” the study says. “This amendment, rushed through a legal gray zone and placed before voters who may be voting on a voided measure, undermines not just the map but the credibility of Virginia’s democratic institutions.”

Even some Democrats have raised concerns. Virginia Senate candidate Mark Moran criticized the proposal in stark terms.

“when you look at the gerrymandered map, it is so morally offensive to anyone.”

He also pointed to what he described as glaring inconsistencies in how districts are drawn.

“If we’re saying that this is fair because we have to fight back against Donald Trump. OK, well, one wrong plus one wrong doesn’t make a right,” emphasized Moran.

If approved, the map would likely result in Democrats holding 10 out of Virginia’s 11 congressional seats—despite the state being more closely divided politically—setting the stage for continued legal and political battles over representation and fairness.