Democrats eye battleground Virginia seat as key to flipping House

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(The Center Square) – In the fight to take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November’s midterms, Democrats are zeroed in on Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.

It's a seat they view as a prime target to seize from Republicans.

Tuesday’s primary election in Virginia will determine whether former Democratic U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria will regain the seat he once held from Republican incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans.

Labeled a toss-up by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, the battle for Virginia’s Hampton Roads seat will be one of the most watched races across the country in November’s midterm elections. With a small advantage – Republicans' 220-215 edge won in November 2024 is today 218-212 with one independent formerly Republican caucusing with his former party, and four vacancies – a handful of competitive seats are likely to determine which political party sets the House’s policy priorities over the final two years of President Donald Trump's final two years.

Virginia has three under close watch – the 1st, 2nd and 7th congressional districts.

District 1

Voters in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District will choose a Democratic nominee to face off against incumbent Republican Rep. Rob Wittman. He has represented eastern Virginia in the House of Representatives since 2007. The seat leans Republican, according to the Cook Political Report.

Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor secured endorsements from major Virginia Democrats, including first-year Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger and both of Virginia’s U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. She is leading the Democratic field in fundraising with just over $2 million reported in her latest Federal Election Commission filings.

Taylor is running a campaign centered on affordability, accusing Wittman of driving up prices for working Virginians.

"I am running to keep my community safe from the failed leadership of Rob Wittman, who has come to embody Washington corruption," Taylor told The Center Square. “Virginians are left paying more on everything from gas to groceries because of his votes.”

Public-interest lawyer Salaam Bhatti will also appear on the ballot, a progressive candidate who touted his work at the Virginia Poverty Law Center to expand SNAP benefits and taxpayer-funded school meals.

SNAP is the acronym for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“I plan to win through the relationships we built with neighbors across the district and meeting them where they are,” Bhatti told The Center Square.

Five other candidates are running for the Democratic nomination, including retired Navy fighter pilot Jason Knapp, Army veteran Elizabeth Beggs, political communications specialist Tim Cywinski, healthcare lawyer Ericka Kopp and business lawyer Melvin Tull.

District 2

Luria represented this district for two terms after winning the 2018 midterms. Kings flipped it four years ago.

Like candidates in races across Virginia and the nation, Luria is tapping into voters' concerns about rising everyday costs like gas and groceries.

“Elaine is laser-focused on sending Jen Kiggans home so Washington can finally address the affordability crisis and end the corruption in Congress that caused it,” Zach Emanuel, campaign spokesman for Luria, told The Center Square.

Luria has raised almost $4.7 million, per her latest FEC filings, setting up the race for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District to be one of the most expensive House races of the midterms. Kiggans, with nearly $6 million in donations, is about $1.3 million behind Luria.

Physician and lawyer Nila Devanath, physicist and veteran Bill Fleming and former international development staffer Patrick Mosolf are also on the ballot.

District 7

Three Republican candidates are seeking to challenge Democratic incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman in the 7th Congressional District, a seat rated as likely Democratic by the Cook Political Report. Retired Army Lt. Col. Doug Ollivant is leading the pack in fundraising, with $251,000 reported in his latest FEC filings.

Ollivant has billed himself as a candidate who will cut government spending to lower taxes for families and businesses in Virginia. He called Vindman a “Washington insider,” and said this disconnect from Virginians will be reflected at the polls in November.

“If Vindman hasn't heard Virginia yet, he will hear us loud and clear in November,” Ollivant told The Center Square this week.

Entrepreneur Philip Harding is running in Tuesday’s primary to cut regulations on small businesses and promote apprenticeships and trade workers. His campaign is centered on his Christian faith, pairing Scripture verses with each of his policy positions on his campaign website.

Harding is trailing Ollivant in fundraising, having reported $126,000 in total funds thus far. Pastor Ricky Smithers, who has reported no campaign funds, will also be on Tuesday’s ballot.

What to know on Election Day

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. across Virginia on Tuesday. All Virginians are eligible to vote in their district’s primary election regardless of party affiliation, as state law designates Virginia an open-primary state.

Virginia does not require candidates to secure more than 50% of the vote in a primary election, so all of Tuesday’s races in Virginia will be settled without a runoff. The winners of Tuesday's primaries will advance to the general election on Nov. 3.