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All 11 Virginia seats to theUnited States House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 8, 2016, to elect aU.S. representative from each ofVirginia's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the2016 U.S. presidential election, as well asHouse of Representatives elections in other states,U.S. Senate elections and variousstate andlocal elections. The primaries were held on June 14.
Virginia was one of two states in which the party that won the state's popular vote did not win a majority of seats in 2016, the other state beingWisconsin. As of 2025, this is the last time the Republicans won a majority of House seats in Virginia.
| Party | Candidates | Votes | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | +/– | % | |||
| Democratic Party | 11 | 1,859,426 | 49.17% | 4 |  1 | 36.36% | |
| Republican Party | 10 | 1,843,010 | 48.74% | 7 |  1 | 63.64% | |
| Write-in | 11 | 42,552 | 1.13% | 0 |  | 0.0% | |
| Independent | 3 | 36,580 | 0.96% | 0 | | 0.0% | |
| Total | 35 | 3,781,568 | 100% | 11 | | 100% | |
| Democratic | 49.17% | |||
| Republican | 48.74% | |||
| Write-in | 1.13% | |||
| Independent | 0.96% | |||
| Republican | 63.64% | |||
| Democratic | 36.36% | |||
In October 2013, three voters from Virginia's Third Congressional District filed a lawsuit challengingGovernorBob McDonnell's 2012 congressional redistricting plan. The plaintiffs argued that the map violated the Constitution by concentrating Black voters disproportionately within the district, a practice known asracial gerrymandering.
On October 7, 2014, a three-judge panel in the United States District Court ruled that the map was unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the14th amendment. Despite this ruling, the court allowed the existing map to be used for the2014 House Elections and ordered theVirginia General Assembly to redraw the districts by April 1, 2015.
In response, ten current and former Republican members of the House of Representatives appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the lower court's ruling. However, the Supreme Court remanded the case to the District Court for reconsideration in light of its recent decision inAlabama Legislative Black Caucus v. Alabama, a case involving racial gerrymandering.
On June 5, 2015, the District Court reaffirmed its previous ruling that the congressional map was unconstitutional and required theGeneral Assembly to redraw the districts by September 1, 2015. However, the General Assembly failed to meet the deadline. Consequently, the District Court appointed aspecial master to create a new redistricting plan, which was approved on January 7, 2016.
The Republican House members subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court to pause the implementation of the new map, arguing that the original appeal regarding jurisdiction had not yet been resolved. The Supreme Court denied the request, allowing for the revised map to be used for the2016 House primaries and general election. On March 21, 2016, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the appeal but ultimately dismissed it, ruling that the Republican House members lacked standing underArticle III of the Constitution.
Following the Supreme Court's decision, some Republican members of the House filed another lawsuit challenging the District Court's revised map. Only three of the ten plaintiffs appeared before the Supreme Court, with Representative Randy Forbes arguing that the new map would alter the Fourth District from a Republican-leaning to a Democratic-leaning constituency, potentially jeopardizing his reelection. The plaintiffs contended that the new map unfairly disadvantaged incumbents. However, the Supreme Court upheld the District Court's redistricting plan, affirming its constitutionality.[1]
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 County and independent city results Wittman: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Rowe: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
 Precinct results Wittman: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Rowe: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanRob Wittman had represented Virginia's 1st congressional district since 2007. He was re-elected in 2014 with 63% of the vote.
Wittman announced that he intended to run for governor in2017, but would still run for re-election in 2016.[2]
A convention was scheduled for May 21 to select a nominee, with a filing deadline of May 7.[3]Bowling Green Town Councilman Matt Rowe was the only candidate to file before the deadline and was thus automatically nominated.[4]
Independent candidateGail Parker also ran.[5]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Rob Wittman (incumbent) | 230,213 | 59.9 | |
| Democratic | Matt Rowe | 140,785 | 36.6 | |
| Independent | Glenda Parker | 12,866 | 3.3 | |
| Write-in | 737 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 384,601 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Precinct resultsTaylor: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Brown: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanScott Rigell was the incumbent of the 2nd district, which had aPVI of R+2. He was first elected in 2010. He declined to seek re-election.[12] The district encompassedVirginia Beach and surrounding areas.
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Taylor | 21,406 | 52.6 | |
| Republican | Randy Forbes (incumbent) | 16,552 | 40.6 | |
| Republican | Pat Cardwell | 2,773 | 6.8 | |
| Total votes | 40,731 | 100.0 | ||
Scott Rigell's retirement was expected to make the race competitive, with the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report immediately changing the rating from Safe to Lean Republican.[23] However, due to the perceived strength of Congressman Forbes's entry into the race, Shaun Brown, a community activist inHampton, VA who had originally planned to primary US RepresentativeBobby Scott (D) for the 3rd district,[24] ended up being the only candidate to file for the primary, making her automatically the nominee.[25]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Taylor | 190,475 | 61.3 | |
| Democratic | Shaun D. Brown | 119,440 | 38.5 | |
| Write-in | 652 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 310,567 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Scott: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Williams: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
 Precinct results Scott: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Williams: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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DemocratBobby Scott had represented Virginia's 3rd congressional district since 1993. He was re-elected in 2014 with 94% of the vote, but the district was made slightly more competitive following the court-ordered redistricting when all of its Richmond and Petersburg constituents were moved into the 4th district.
A debate was scheduled for October 25, but was canceled after the debate questions were leaked to both campaigns.[29]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe D | October 31, 2016 |
Organizations
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bobby Scott (incumbent) | 208,337 | 66.7 | |
| Republican | Marty Williams | 103,289 | 33.1 | |
| Write-in | 714 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 312,340 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
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 County results McEachin: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Wade: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
 Precinct results McEachin: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Wade: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanRandy Forbes, first elected in 2001, was the incumbent of the 4th district, but attempted to seek re-election in the 2nd district. The 4th district was changed from a Hampton Roads centered district to a Richmond-centered district following the court's redistricting. Notably, it gained heavily Democratic, black-majority Richmond andPetersburg, which was enough to turn the district into a strongly Democratic district on paper. The old 4th had a PVI of R+4, while the new 4th had a PVI of D+10. The district was considered a Safe Gain for the Democrats by many political analysts, includingLarry Sabato's Crystal Ball.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Wade | 4,987 | 64.0 | |
| Republican | Jackee Gonzalez | 2,801 | 36.0 | |
| Total votes | 7,788 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donald McEachin | 11,851 | 75.4 | |
| Democratic | Ella Ward | 3,867 | 24.6 | |
| Total votes | 15,818 | 100.0 | ||
Organizations
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Likely D(flip) | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe D(flip) | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe D(flip) | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe D(flip) | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Likely D(flip) | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Donald McEachin | 200,136 | 57.7 | |||
| Republican | Mike Wade | 145,731 | 42.1 | |||
| Write-in | 789 | 0.2 | ||||
| Total votes | 346,656 | 100.0 | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
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 County and independent city results Precinct resultsGarrett: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Dittmar: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | ||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent RepublicanRobert Hurt, first elected in 2010, retired in 2016.[39] The 5th district, which has a PVI of R+5, is the largest district in the state and stretches from Virginia's southern border to the exurbs ofWashington, D.C.
The Republican party selected State SenatorTom Garrett as its nominee at a convention on May 14, with a filing deadline of March 31.[40][41]
The Democratic party had scheduled a convention on May 7 to select a nominee.[48] Jane Dittmar, the former chair of theAlbemarle County Board of Supervisors, was the only candidate to file by the filing deadline and so was declared the Democratic nominee.[41]
Organizations
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Likely R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Likely R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Likely R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Lean R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Likely R | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Garrett | 207,758 | 58.2 | |
| Democratic | Jane Dittmar | 148,339 | 41.6 | |
| Write-in | 659 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 356,756 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Goodlatte: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Degner: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
 Precinct results Goodlatte: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Degner: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanBob Goodlatte had represented Virginia's 6th congressional district since 1993. He was re-elected with 75% of the vote in 2014.
Harry Griego, a pilot and Air Force veteran who made a 2015 primary challenge of State DelegateChris Head, challenged Goodlatte for the Republican nomination.[54]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Goodlatte (incumbent) | 18,993 | 77.9 | |
| Republican | Harry Griego | 5,383 | 22.1 | |
| Total votes | 24,376 | 100.0 | ||
In 2014, Democratic candidate Bruce Elder, a Staunton City Councilman, had to end his campaign after being diagnosed with cancer.[55] Democrats did not field any candidates to challenge Goodlatte for that year's election.[56]
No Democratic candidates announced in the early part of 2016, butChris Hurst, a reporter forWDBJ in Roanoke who was the boyfriend ofmurdered reporter Alison Parker, had reportedly met with theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee to discuss a potential campaign for this district.[57] By late May, the only declared Democratic candidate was Warren County Democratic Party Chair Tom Howarth. However, citing health issues, Howarth withdrew. Kai Degner, a member of the Harrisonburg City Council and former mayor of the city, became the nominee by acclamation in early June.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Goodlatte (incumbent) | 225,471 | 66.6 | |
| Democratic | Kai Degner | 112,170 | 33.2 | |
| Write-in | 768 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 338,409 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Precinct resultsBrat: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Bedell: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanDave Brat had represented Virginia's 7th congressional district since 2014. He was elected in 2014 with 61% of the vote.
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| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Likely R | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Brat (incumbent) | 218,057 | 57.5 | |
| Democratic | Eileen Bedell | 160,159 | 42.2 | |
| Write-in | 947 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 379,163 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Precinct resultsBeyer: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Hernick: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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DemocratDon Beyer had represented Virginia's 8th congressional district since 2015. He was elected in 2014 with 63% of the vote.
The Republican Party selected a nominee at a convention on May 7.[60]
Two candidates sought the Republican nomination: Charles Hernick, an environmental consultant, and Mike Webb, a retired Army officer.[61][62] Hernick defeated Webb to become the nominee.[63][64]
Independent candidate Julio Gracia also ran.[5]
Organizations
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe D | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Don Beyer (incumbent) | 246,653 | 68.4 | |
| Republican | Charles Hernick | 98,387 | 27.3 | |
| Independent | Julio Gracia | 14,664 | 4.0 | |
| Write-in | 972 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 360,676 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Griffith: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Kitts: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
 Precinct results Griffith: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Kitts: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% >90% Tie: 40–50% | |||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanMorgan Griffith represented Virginia's 9th congressional district since 2011. He won re-election to a third term in 2014 with 72% of the vote.
The Democratic party selected retired Army veteran Derek Kitts as the nominee in a May 21 convention.
Independent candidate Janice Boyd also ran.[5]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe R | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Morgan Griffith (incumbent) | 212,838 | 68.6 | |
| Democratic | Derek Kitts | 87,877 | 28.3 | |
| Independent | Janice Boyd | 9,050 | 2.9 | |
| Write-in | 549 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 310,314 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
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 County and independent city results Comstock: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Bennett: 40–50% 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||
 Precinct results Comstock: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Bennett: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Tie: 40–50% | ||||||||||||||||
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RepublicanBarbara Comstock was the incumbent in the 10th district. In 2015, she succeeded RepublicanFrank Wolf, who served for 17 terms before choosing to not seek re-election 2014. The 10th district, which has a PVI of D+1, consists of the northernmost portions of the state. Comstock ran for re-election.[67]
Libertarian candidate JD Thorpe ran as awrite-in candidate.
Due to the competitiveness of the district and the ability of both candidates to raise large amounts of money, the race was expected to be one of the most heavily contested in the country.[69] Democratic strategist Ellen Qualls said the 10th District is "essentially the swingiest district in the swingiest state."[69]
In the first three weeks of her campaign, Bennett raised $281,000, while Comstock raised $2 million overall since January 2015.[69][70]
Organizations
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Tossup | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Tilt R | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Lean R | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Tossup | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Barbara Comstock (incumbent) | 210,791 | 52.7 | |
| Democratic | LuAnn Bennett | 187,712 | 46.9 | |
| Write-in | 1,580 | 0.4 | ||
| Total votes | 400,083 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Comstock was re-elected even though her district voted for Clinton by 10 percentage points in the presidential race.[71]
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 County and independent city results Precinct resultsConnolly: 70–80% 80–90% >90% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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DemocratGerry Connolly had represented Virginia's 11th congressional district since 2009. He was re-elected in 2014 with 57% of the vote. He was the only candidate on the ballot for the seat in 2016.[72]
One person, John Wolfe, filed for the Republican nomination, which was to be decided at a convention on May 14, 2016. However, Wolfe did not campaign or even attend the convention, so the convention delegates rejected his nomination by a 3-to-1 margin.[73][74] The 11th District Republican Committee searched for a new candidate,[73] but ultimately decided no viable candidate was available and opted to focus on the presidential race and on defeating the Fairfax County meals tax referendum.[75]
One person, Daniel Mittereder, filed for the Libertarian nomination and was accepted. However, he suffered a severestrep throat infection shortly afterward which required atonsillectomy and was forced to withdraw his candidacy.[76]
Organizations
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Daily Kos Elections[7] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| Rothenberg[8] | Safe D | November 3, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[9] | Safe D | November 7, 2016 |
| RCP[10] | Safe D | October 31, 2016 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gerry Connolly (incumbent) | 247,818 | 87.9 | |
| Write-in | 34,185 | 12.1 | ||
| Total votes | 282,003 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
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