Former President Barack Obama is promoting a Democratic effort to redraw congressional lines in Virginia, the latest front in a nationwide redistricting battle ahead of this year’s midterm elections. Thursday's announcement comes a day after the state Supreme Court allowed the redistricting question to go to voters for an April 21 election. Early voting begins Friday. It marks the latest time Obama has weighed in on an effort to counter President Donald Trump’s push for congressional gerrymandering in Republican-controlled states. Virginia's delegation in the U.S. House is currently six Democrats and five Republicans. The new map is designed to give Democrats four more seats.
