Democrat Shannon Taylor, Henrico County Commonwealth’s attorney, is set to face off against incumbent Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District in the upcoming November election. Taylor secured the Democratic nomination by defeating 12 other candidates in the primary held on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, while Wittman faced no primary opposition.

Wittman has held the seat since 2007 and won the district in 2024 by nearly a 5-point margin, according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). The district was considered a potential Democratic pickup this year if a new congressional map proposed by Virginia Democrats had been implemented. However, the Virginia Supreme Court voided a state referendum approving the new map, which would have likely favored Taylor.

Election analyst Cook Political Report currently rates the race as leaning Republican, indicating an uphill battle for Taylor in the southern Virginia district.

Sources