US court torpedoes Democrats' redistricting win

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday overturned the US state's voter-approved redistricting plan, dealing a huge blow to Democrats' hopes of reshaping the battle for control of Congress ahead of this year's midterm elections.

In a ruling following months of legal challenges, the court found that Democratic lawmakers failed to follow constitutional procedures in a closely watched referendum on a map that the party hoped would create several new safe seats.

"This violation irreparably undermines the integrity of the resulting referendum vote and renders it null and void," the court said.

The referendum, narrowly approved by voters in a special election last month, would have cleared the way for Democrats to redraw Virginia's congressional districts mid-decade, potentially shifting the state's current 6-5 Democratic advantage in the US House of Representatives to as much as 10-1 under the proposed map.

The ruling preserves the current districts and marks another flashpoint in an escalating national redistricting war between Democrats and Republicans as both parties seek an edge in the narrowly divided House.

President Donald Trump celebrated the decision on social media as a "huge win" for his Republicans.

Trump had helped trigger the latest wave of redistricting battles last year by urging Republican-led states including Texas to redraw congressional maps to favor Republicans.

Democrats responded with efforts in states including California and Virginia aimed at offsetting Republican gains.