Richmond, Virginia: Shannon Taylor Flips First District, Beating Rob Wittman by About 5,000 Votes

Democrat Shannon Taylor defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman on Tuesday in Virginia's 1st Congressional District, flipping a seat Republicans have held for nearly 50 years and ending Wittman's nearly two decades in Washington. With all precincts and early votes reported, Taylor won by a little more than 5,000 votes, according to Virginia Scope. The Associated Press count put Taylor at 213,608 votes, or 50.6 percent, to 208,515 votes, or 49.4 percent, for Wittman. The Legacy Newspaper reported that the Associated Press called the race for Taylor at 11 p.m., when she had 51 percent with 97 percent of votes counted.

Taylor won the race in Henrico County, where she has served as commonwealth's attorney since 2012. She carried 46 of the 48 Henrico precincts taking part in the congressional election, receiving 55,397 votes to Wittman's 32,891, according to The Legacy Newspaper. Her 22,506 vote advantage in Henrico was nearly three times her districtwide margin. Wittman held on in more conservative parts of the district, but the Henrico result was too large for him to overcome once Chesterfield County and the early votes were counted.

A campaign on affordability and corruption

At her election night party in Innsbrook, Taylor said voters had sent a message. "It is a good night for the commonwealth," she said. "Tonight, we sent a message: people are sick and tired of the corruption and they are ready for change. Together we won this campaign and together we will ban stock trading by members of Congress, end corporate political contributions, and curb the influence of special interests who have for too long rigged the rules in their favor." WHRO reported that she also pointed to her record in Henrico, saying her campaign had made the county a safer place and held accountable people who sought to take advantage of the community. Taylor centered her campaign on affordability and government corruption, and she questioned Wittman's personal wealth and stock trading in office. Wittman disputed those accusations, saying increases in his net worth came from inheritances and investments managed by financial professionals.

Wittman does not concede on the night

Wittman, who first won the district in a 2007 special election and was seeking his 10th full term, did not offer a full concession on Tuesday night. At his watch party in Glen Allen, he told supporters the race was too close to call. "We look forward to continuing this fight into tomorrow and making sure that we win," he said. He campaigned on his experience and seniority, including his work on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources committees, and he attacked Taylor's record as a prosecutor, portraying her as soft on crime. Wittman had won reelection by about 13 points in 2024.

The district had grown more competitive before Tuesday. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger carried it in her 2025 victory, and a Washington Post Schar School poll released in October showed Taylor leading Wittman by four percentage points. The 1st District includes parts of the Richmond suburbs in Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover counties, along with Williamsburg, James City County and communities across the Middle Peninsula and the Northern Neck. The result was a major Democratic pickup in the fight for control of the U.S. House. All results are unofficial until they are certified.