Shannon outraised nearly 20-year incumbent Wittman in the most recent quarter;
Henrico County prosecutor is running to crack down on the Washington corruption that is raising costs on Virginia families
HENRICO, VA – Henrico County’s Top Prosecutor Shannon Taylor has officially won the Democratic nomination for Congress in Virginia’s 1st District, and will face off against vulnerable career politician Congressman Rob Wittman in November. In her remarks to supporters tonight, Shannon pledged to prosecute the case against Wittman and Washington corruption that is costing Virginia families.
“For nearly 20 years, Rob Wittman has been part of a broken Washington that has made life more expensive for Virginians while politicians of both parties and powerful corporations get richer,” said Taylor. “Families are paying more for groceries, health care, housing, and utilities because of Wittman’s votes while his personal net worth has grown by up to 40 times. In November, voters will have a clear choice between a career politician who has used his office to enrich himself while Virginians struggle and a prosecutor who has spent her career holding powerful people accountable and protecting her community.”
Taylor continued: “As Henrico’s top prosecutor, I have worked with Democrats, Republicans, and independents to keep my community safe and stood up to them when it was necessary. I will bring that same approach to Congress. I am ready to fight to lower costs, expand access to affordable health care, and to clean up the corruption in Washington that is hurting all of us. Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we get back to work.”
The race for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District is expected to be one of the most competitive in the country and could decide control of the House majority. Fox News rates VA-01 as a “Toss Up” district, and analysis from UVA Center for Politics describes it as the “median House district.” Wittman has faced scrutiny in recent months for using his office to personally benefit himself. Reporting shows that Wittman continues to trade stocks while in office, and voted to give himself a tax cut worth tens of thousands of dollars while Virginians pay more. Shannon has unveiled a plan to root out this kind of Washington corruption, which includes a ban on congressional stock trading.
Taylor’s victory reflects the broad coalition she has built across the district–from the Richmond suburbs to the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and Historic Triangle– around a campaign focused on lowering costs and cleaning up corruption in Washington.
ABOUT SHANNON:
Shannon Taylor is a battle-tested prosecutor with 25 years of experience and a 90% conviction rate in homicide cases, taking on the toughest threats to Virginia families and delivering justice. A native of Charlottesville and graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School, she began her career as a prosecutor in Richmond before serving as a Special Assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s office. In 2011, she flipped the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office from Republican to Democrat, becoming the first woman elected to the role. She has since been re-elected three times, proving she knows how to win tough races.
As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Taylor has pioneered programs to support victims of human trafficking, created a task force to tackle the opioid epidemic, and led prosecutors statewide in pledging not to criminalize women or doctors for abortion care. She has worked alongside law enforcement to keep families safe, fought fraud that harms working people, and partnered with gun safety advocates to take illegal guns off the streets.
Shannon Taylor has built her career on protecting Virginians and delivering justice for families regardless of their politics.
For more on Shannon Taylor’s campaign, visit ShannonTaylorVA.com.