Virginia Democrats Back Establishment Candidates in Bid to Flip GOP House Seats/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Virginia Democrats nominated former Rep. Elaine Luria and prosecutor Shannon Taylor for two Republican-held House seats the party hopes to flip in November. Luria will face Rep. Jen Kiggans in a closely watched 2nd District rematch, while Taylor will challenge longtime Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District. Former Rep. Tom Perriello also won his primary as Democrats pursue additional gains in the broader fight for control of the U.S. House.
Quick Look
- Elaine Luria won the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 2nd District.
- Luria will face Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in a 2022 rematch.
- Shannon Taylor won a seven-candidate primary in the 1st District.
- Taylor will challenge Republican Rep. Rob Wittman.
- Luria and Taylor were backed by the Democratic congressional campaign organization.
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger also endorsed both candidates.
- Virginia Democrats currently hold six of the state’s 11 House seats.
- Democrats hope to flip at least two Republican-held districts.
- Former Rep. Tom Perriello won the Democratic primary in the 5th District.
- Perriello will challenge Trump-endorsed Rep. John McGuire.
- Democratic Rep. Don Beyer defeated his primary challenger.
- Bert Mizusawa won the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. Mark Warner.
- Warner is heavily favored in the Senate race.
- Virginia’s Supreme Court overturned a Democratic redistricting plan earlier in 2026.
Deep Look
Virginia Democrats Choose Establishment-Backed Nominees
RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democratic voters nominated prosecutor Shannon Taylor and former Rep. Elaine Luria on Tuesday for two congressional races the party hopes to win in November.
Both candidates will face Republican incumbents as Democrats compete for control of the U.S. House.
Taylor will challenge longtime Rep. Rob Wittman in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, while Luria will seek to regain the coastal 2nd District from Rep. Jen Kiggans.
Luria and Taylor Receive Party Support
The House Democrats’ campaign organization backed both Luria and Taylor during their primary campaigns.
They also received endorsements from a broad group of Democratic officials, including Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
Their victories continued Virginia Democratic voters’ tendency to select moderate candidates with established political and institutional support.
Moderate Candidates Prevail in Virginia
Democratic primaries elsewhere in the country have exposed divisions between progressive challengers and more moderate establishment candidates.
Political outsiders have scored unexpected victories in some states.
In Virginia, however, voters again favored candidates with experience and institutional backing.
Taylor won a seven-candidate primary that included progressive candidate Salaam Bhatti, who received approximately one-fifth of the vote.
Luria defeated three opponents in her primary.
Democrats Seek Gains After Redistricting Defeat
Virginia Democrats hope to gain at least two House seats after the state Supreme Court overturned their voter-approved redistricting plan earlier this year.
The map could have created four additional districts that Democrats believed they could win.
Some party officials, including Spanberger, remain optimistic that Democrats could flip as many as four Republican-held seats under the existing boundaries.
Perriello Wins 5th District Nomination
Former Rep. Tom Perriello won the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.
He will face Republican Rep. John McGuire in November.
The central Virginia district leans solidly Republican, but some Democrats believe the national political environment could make it competitive.
Virginia Democratic Chairman Promises Offensive Campaign
State Sen. Lamont Bagby, chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, said the party intends to compete throughout the state.
“Virginia Democrats are going on offense. We will compete everywhere, defend our ground, flip Republican-held seats, and hold Donald Trump and his allies accountable for higher costs, attacks on our freedoms, and corruption that puts personal interests ahead of the people they serve,” state Sen. Lamont Bagby, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said in a statement.
Republicans Defend Their Record
Jeff Ryer, chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said voters would closely examine Spanberger’s leadership.
He predicted that Virginians would instead “elect common-sense conservative leaders who will fight for lower taxes, more freedom, and greater opportunity.”
Republicans will try to defend all five of their Virginia congressional seats in November.
The state’s six Democratic House members are also seeking reelection.
Luria-Kiggans Rematch Set in 2nd District
Luria’s primary victory creates a highly anticipated rematch with Kiggans in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.
The coastal district, centered around Virginia Beach, has a large military population and regularly shifts between the two parties.
Democrats view it as a critical pickup opportunity in their campaign to regain control of the House.
Luria Seeks Return to Congress
Luria is a retired Navy commander who first won the district in 2018.
She served two terms in Congress before Kiggans defeated her in 2022.
While in office, Luria served on the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.
Her campaign is emphasizing her military experience, previous congressional service and familiarity with the district.
Luria Targets Kiggans’ Trump Record
In her primary victory speech, Luria said Kiggans had promised to be bipartisan but had failed to distinguish herself meaningfully from President Donald Trump.
Luria also acknowledged the difficulty of winning a district that has repeatedly shifted between Republicans and Democrats.
“We have a long road and a long fight ahead.”
Kiggans Defends Bipartisan Credentials
Kiggans is a former Navy helicopter pilot who emphasized her record in Congress after Luria’s victory.
She described herself as a “proven leader who brings people together and gets results for our military and families.”
Kiggans said she would campaign in the coming months on “lowering costs, putting more money back in your pocket, standing up for our families, and working across the aisle to deliver real results.”
Taylor Wins Crowded 1st District Primary
Taylor emerged from a seven-way Democratic primary in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.
The district, centered in the Richmond suburbs, has generally favored Republicans.
Taylor is the elected chief prosecutor in Henrico County and made public safety a central theme of her campaign.
She defeated a field that included Bhatti, who attracted support from many progressive voters.
Taylor Highlights Prosecutorial Experience
After winning the nomination, Taylor connected her 14 years as a prosecutor to the approach she said she would bring to Congress.
“I’ve spent the last 14 years prosecuting violent criminals, fraudsters and anybody who abuses our trust. If they took advantage of our community, I held them accountable. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do when I’m in Congress,” she told a crowd of cheering supporters gathered at an Irish pub in the district.
Taylor Promises Washington Ethics Reforms
During the primary campaign, Taylor promoted proposals she said would combat corruption in Washington.
Her platform included banning members of Congress from trading stocks.
She also proposed a lifetime prohibition on federal lobbying by former members of Congress.
Taylor will now face Wittman, who has represented the district for years.
Wittman Attacks Taylor’s Criminal Justice Positions
Wittman said in a statement that his record showed he had delivered results for the district.
He also accused Taylor of supporting progressive criminal justice policies.
The Republican incumbent is expected to emphasize the district’s traditional GOP lean and challenge Taylor’s record as a prosecutor.
McGuire Defeats Republican Challenger
Only two of Virginia’s congressional incumbents faced primary challengers Tuesday.
McGuire, a former Navy SEAL and state legislator endorsed by Trump, defeated military veteran Melanie Lucero in the Republican primary for the 5th District.
He will face Perriello in November.
Perriello Attempts Congressional Comeback
Perriello won a three-candidate Democratic primary as he seeks a return to Congress.
He represented the 5th District for one term beginning in 2009.
Although the district has become more Republican since his previous service, Democrats hope Perriello’s experience and name recognition can make the race competitive.
Don Beyer Wins Northern Virginia Primary
Democratic Rep. Don Beyer defeated his primary challenger in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District.
The heavily Democratic district covers parts of Northern Virginia near Washington.
Beyer is widely expected to win reelection in November.
Mizusawa Wins Republican Senate Primary
Virginia voters also selected a Republican nominee to challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Warner.
Bert Mizusawa, a decorated retired Army major general, won the three-way GOP primary.
Warner, a former Virginia governor first elected to the Senate in 2008, did not face a Democratic primary opponent.
He currently serves as the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Warner Favored in Senate Race
Defeating Warner is expected to be difficult, and the Virginia Senate contest is not considered one of the races most likely to determine control of the chamber.
Chris Weymouth, an 85-year-old Republican voter from suburban Richmond, said she supported Mizusawa because she believed he would prioritize the United States, defend the Constitution and protect individual freedoms.
She said Democrats had moved so far to the political left that she would “never” consider voting for one.
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