Cook Political Report: “Taylor has consolidated support from Democratic elected officials in the state and should easily win the nomination…Wittman should expect a competitive race next year.”
Henrico, VA — Non-partisan elections race rater Cook Political Report just shifted Virginia’s 1st Congressional District in Democrats’ direction, specifically citing the strength of Shannon Taylor’s campaign as a major reason for the change. Cook is shifting their rating of the race from Likely Republican to Lean Republican as momentum continues to build behind Taylor’s campaign, Wittman faces fresh scrutiny for his nearly two decade long career in Washington, the political landscape of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District continues to trend in Democrats’ direction, and Governor-elect Spanberger won within the boundaries of the district.
In response to the ratings shift, Shannon Taylor released the following statement:
“For too long, Rob Wittman has used his position to benefit himself instead of the people he serves. Voters are tired of it — and they’re ready for someone who will finally hold Washington accountable,” said Taylor. “This rating change confirms what we see on the ground every day: his time coasting in this seat is over and I look forward to prosecuting the case against him, and the special interests he serves, on behalf of our community.”
Read key highlights from Cook’s write-up on the race below:
“[…] This district, which encompasses much of Virginia’s Tidewater region, only voted for Trump by 5 points last year — and this was one of the few House districts where the president underperformed his 2020 margin. Spanberger carried this district by two-and-a-half points, evidence that a Democrat could win this district under the right circumstances.
The center of Democratic energy is the Richmond suburbs, a part of the district that’s relatively new to Wittman, since Henrico and Chesterfield Counties were added to the 1st in the 2022 round of redistricting. Democrats’ likely nominee, Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, is primed to take advantage of that geographic vulnerability. Fresh off of a narrow loss to Jay Jones in the Democratic primary for attorney general, Taylor has consolidated support from Democratic elected officials in the state and should easily win the nomination (in the attorney general primary, she won Henrico County by 20 points).
Democrats are starting from scratch in building the case against Wittman, who’s never faced a serious electoral challenge. Their initial line of attack accuses Wittman of using his office to enrich himself financially (his net worth has more than tripled since he was first elected) […]
Wittman should expect a competitive race next year, so we’re moving this district from Likely to Lean Republican.”
ABOUT SHANNON:
Shannon Taylor is a battle-tested prosecutor with 25 years of experience and a 90% homicide prosecution rate, 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.
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