Virginia GOP leader blasts ‘power-hungry’ Jeffries as Dems mount ‘insane’ gambit to overpower high court

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EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Republicans blasted national and state Democrats over their "insane" ideas on how to reverse the Supreme Court of Virginia’s 4-3 ruling against their redistricting gambit, targeting House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other national Democrats’ latest intercession.

The New York Times reported Monday on a meeting between national and Virginia Democrats to discuss ways to revive their now-blocked 10-1 map, drawing sharp backlash.

"It is insane — is my first take on that, because I mean, it would be crazy to throw out judges for making the right decision," said Virginia House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, D-Gate City.

"That would just be beyond the pale. I think a lot of Virginians would see through that. And it's too late for them to do it as a matter of law," he said, citing a May 12 pre-primary deadline.

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The report claimed Jeffries, D-N.Y., was party to discussions that ranged from lowering the retirement age of state justices to ostensibly re-trying the case before a hand-picked court, as well as using the otherwise Republican-favorable ruling out of Tazewell County.

The Tazewell decision — from Judge Jack Hurley — initially invalidated the redistricting referendum, but SCOVA allowed the vote to proceed. The Times reported Democrats are considering using Hurley’s reasoning to instead invalidate the 2020 referendum that created the independent redistricting commission they tried to circumvent with their April vote.

"That just shows you how power-hungry Hakeem Jeffries and his Democrats are up there, and I'm glad the Supreme Court followed the rule of law, and it was a good day for Virginia," Kilgore said.

Democrats disagreed, with Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, announcing an emergency application for relief was made to the Supreme Court of the United States by late Monday.

Surovell said in a statement that the response was brought by himself, House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, and Senate PresidentPresident Pro Tem L. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth.

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Critics pointed out the haste with which the case was filed, evinced by several visible typos on the first page.

The case was filed with SCOTUS, but the page itself indicated in its second reference that it was filed to the "Supreme Court of Virginia."

Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, the original plaintiff, was labeled as a "Sentator" — leading to potato memes from critics on X, while a Virginia political commentary account renamed itself "Virgnia Sentator" over that and a second misspelling in Scott’s title.

In a Thursday statement following the original ruling, Scott said he "respect[ed]" it and said the close vote showed Virginians wanted to "fight back" against President Donald Trump — and that Virginia Democrats will "keep fighting for a democracy where voters — not politicians — have the final say."

Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., whose Shenandoah Valley district was primed to be chopped in three, agreed with Kilgore in a statement saying Jeffries and national Democrats are "furious" at SCOVA for "up[holding] the rule of law."

Cline urged Virginians to get involved politically, warning of what he called an "illegal" Democratic push to reshape the maps.

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Kilgore dismissed the idea of using the Tazewell ruling to dismantle the redistricting commission as "grasping at straws," noting the panel has already drawn state-legislative districts without challenge.

Amid the current battle, neighboring West Virginia lawmakers launched a bid to allow some of Virginia’s more conservative, rural communities to secede from the Old Dominion, as the Mountaineer State itself did on June 20, 1863.

Kilgore’s delegate district comprised a large swath of the mountainous country featured in maps put out by proponents in Charleston.

"I think that's a little bit premature," Kilgore responded. "I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of Virginia and I'm going to stay right here and take Virginia back."

"We can take Virginia back, as you saw the close vote in the yes-no. That's where Virginians are. We're a close state. We’re a purple state."

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Kilgore said he expects Virginia voters to "swing back hard" toward Republicans in response to the hijinks playing out so far this year – which could create a purple-state pendulum just in time for Trump’s own effort to hold the House of Representatives in November.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries for comment.

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. 

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. 

Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to charles.creitz@fox.com.