Rep. Rob Wittman (R) has represented Virginia’s 1st Congressional District since winning a special election in 2007 and is seeking his 10th full term against Democrat Shannon Taylor, the top prosecutor for Henrico County, outside Richmond.
The 1st District has elected a Republican every year since 1977 but has gradually become more Democratic as boundaries changed and as its suburbs grew and became more diverse. It went for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race by five percentage points but chose Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor by two-and-a-half points the following year.
What’s at stake
This year it was one of the top districts targeted by Democrats for a flip. Taylor, who first won election as prosecutor in late 2011, has campaigned against Wittman’s support for Trump and accused him of enriching himself while in Congress. Wittman has targeted Taylor’s prosecutorial record, depicting her as soft on crime and lenient toward serious offenders.
Polling indicated the race would be one of the most competitive in the country, with Taylor gaining ground as voters expressed increasing doubt about Trump’s handling of the economy.
Both major parties consider Virginia’s 1st District a key battleground for control of the House. Even after the state Supreme Court this year overturned a voter-approved redistricting effort that would have given Democrats a clear advantage, the district remained one of the national party’s top targets for a flip because it was so competitive.
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