Shannon Taylor wins Democratic primary in Virginia district Democrats hope to make competitive

Shannon Taylor has won the Democratic primary in Virginia’s 1st District, CBS News projects, defeating six other candidates seeking the chance to unseat incumbent GOP Rep. Rob Wittman. He’s held the seat since 2007 and has President Trump’s endorsement. 

Taylor, the Commonwealth’s attorney for Henrico County, was the front-runner in the race. The 1st District extends across the Richmond suburbs and north and west into rural counties in the state, and also includes Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. 

The House Democrats’ campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, saw Taylor as a top-tier candidate and gave her fundraising and organizational support as part of its Red to Blue program, an effort to win GOP-held seats. Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, have also both endorsed Taylor, as has Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

The 1st District is rated “lean Republican” by the Cook Political Report, and it backed Mr. Trump by 5 points in 2024.

Public interest lawyer Salaam Bhatti, community advocate Tom Cywinski, healthcare attorney Ericka Kopp, small law firm owner Mel Tull, Army veteran Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs and Navy officer Jason Knapp also ran for the Democratic nomination.

Earlier this year, Virginia voters approved a new congressional map that would have given Democrats an advantage in 10 House districts, leaving only a single seat safe for Republicans. But the state Supreme Court tossed the map, restoring the original districts. Currently, the state’s U.S. House delegation is split, with six Democrats and five Republicans.