U.S. House race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Representative, Virginia District 1
Represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, which writes federal laws, approves the federal budget and taxes, and oversees the executive branch.
2-year term. The district runs from Colonial Beach through the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula to Williamsburg and reaches into the Richmond suburbs, with its largest populations in Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover and James City counties. Virginia is using its 2021 court-drawn congressional map in 2026 after the Supreme Court of Virginia voided the April 2026 redistricting referendum. Two candidates are on the ballot: Republican Rob Wittman and Democrat Shannon Taylor. Write-in votes may also be cast.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Shannon Taylor
Commonwealth's Attorney, Henrico County (since 2012)Shannon Taylor is a Democrat who has been Henrico County's commonwealth's attorney, the county's top prosecutor, since 2012, and who ran for Virginia attorney general in 2025. Her campaign centers on congressional ethics rules, health care and utility costs, and public safety.
Rob Wittman
U.S. Representative, Virginia District 1 (since 2007)Rob Wittman is a Republican who has represented the 1st District since 2007 and is vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. His campaign focuses on the cost of living, national defense and shipbuilding, rural broadband, and Chesapeake Bay conservation.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Shannon Taylor Democratic | Rob Wittman Republican |
|---|---|---|
| Energy & Environment | Says she has opposed proposed utility rate increases in Virginia and supports requiring that new data center construction not raise families' energy costs. | Supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach including nuclear, natural gas, oil, wind and solar; co-chairs the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force and led a bill on invasive blue catfish that he says passed the House in 2026. |
| Health Care | Supports restoring the expired Affordable Care Act tax credits, expanding Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices, ending surprise medical billing, and protecting Medicaid. | Says he voted to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits; supports price transparency, lower prescription drug costs and Health Savings Accounts, and holding insurers and pharmacy middlemen accountable for denials and rebates. |
| Economy & Jobs | No public position found yet | Says cutting waste, fraud and improper payments is needed to address the national debt; backs the No Budget, No Pay Act and a resolution to keep the House in session until all spending bills pass. |
| Elections & Democracy | Supports banning members of Congress from trading stocks, a lifetime ban on members becoming lobbyists, mandatory jail time for members who steal taxpayer funds, and 12-year term limits for the House and Senate. | No public position found yet |
| Immigration | No public position found yet | Supports stronger border enforcement alongside legal immigration and cites his support for the Laken Riley Act; the Virginia Mercury reports he supports building a wall on the border with Mexico. |
| Infrastructure | No public position found yet | Co-chairs the Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus and authored the Serving Rural America Act; supports replacing the Robert O. Norris Jr. Bridge and I-64 improvements. |
| Public Safety | Says she would back legislation to take drugs such as fentanyl off the streets and to support law enforcement. | No public position found yet |
| Taxes | Supports tax cuts for working families and small businesses, and says she would work to rein in tariffs. | No public position found yet |