Taylor officially enters race to unseat Wittman in Virginia's First District

As expected, Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor officially launched her campaign for Virginia’s First Congressional District Sept. 8, pledging to fight for working families and challenge longtime Republican incumbent Rob Wittman.

Taylor, who has served as Henrico’s top prosecutor since 2012, framed her campaign as an extension of her record in the courtroom, where she says she has delivered justice for victims and kept communities safe.

“As Henrico’s top prosecutor, I’ve made it my mission to protect and defend Virginia families by locking up violent criminals, taking on fraudsters and scammers, and getting drugs and guns off our streets,” Taylor said in a campaign announcement. “Now I’m taking on a new fight to prosecute the case against Rob Wittman because he has spent nearly 20 years in Washington enriching himself while selling out the very community I’ve fought to protect.”

Taylor is the latest Democrat to enter a crowded race for the party's nomination in the district, joining nine others who previously announced for the seat. But she brings the most political clout and experience of that group. Henrico voters comprise about 22% of the more than 602,000 registered voters in the 18-locality, conservative-leaning district.

Taylor criticized Wittman, who was first elected in 2007, for votes she said jeopardized healthcare access in the district, including support for cuts to Medicaid that she argues risked closing rural hospitals like Rappahannock General.

Taylor enters the race with endorsements from U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, Congressmen Don Beyer, Eugene Vindman and Suhas Subramanyam, as well as some members of the Virginia General Assembly, county sheriffs, and fellow commonwealth’s attorneys.

“As Henrico’s top prosecutor, Shannon Taylor has dedicated herself to delivering justice without fear or favor,” Kaine said in a statement. “Now she is running to stand up for hardworking families in Virginia’s First District. I’m proud to endorse her as she runs to serve as an independent leader in Congress for her community.”

The district includes the western half of Henrico and stretches from the Metro Richmond suburbs through the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, combining suburban, rural, and Tidewater communities. Voters in the district supported Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election 51.6% to 46.5%.

But Democrats see Wittman, a Henrico native, as increasingly vulnerable, criticizing his lengthy tenure and his healthcare votes. Taylor’s campaign plans to focus on pocketbook issues, community safety, and what she describes as “prosecuting the case” against Wittman’s record.

A Charlottesville native, Taylor earned her law degree from the University of Richmond and 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.

During her tenure, Taylor has launched initiatives to combat human trafficking, address the opioid crisis, and work with gun safety advocates. She has also joined a national coalition of prosecutors pledging not to criminalize women or doctors for abortion care.

Taylor, who has won re-election three times in Henrico and who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general earlier this year, said her congressional campaign will continue her focus on protecting Virginians and “delivering justice for families regardless of their politics.”