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All 11 Virginia seats to theUnited States House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 District results County and independent city results
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The2008 congressional elections in Virginia were held on November 4, 2008, to determine who would represent theCommonwealth ofVirginia in theUnited States House of Representatives, coinciding with thepresidential andsenatorial elections. Representatives were elected for two-year terms in the111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. Primary elections were held on June 10, 2008.
Virginia had eleven seats in the House, apportioned according to the2000 United States census. Democrats flipped the2nd,5th, and11th districts, flipping their 3–8 deficit into a 6–5 majority. As of 2024, this is the last time that Democrats were elected to the 5th or9th congressional districts. This was also the last time until2018 that Democrats won the majority of House seats in Virginia.
| United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2008[1] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Democratic | 1,852,788 | 53.01% | 6 | +3 | |
| Republican | 1,590,687 | 45.51% | 5 | -3 | |
| Independent Greens | 14,100 | 0.40% | 0 | — | |
| Libertarian | 5,265 | 0.15% | 0 | — | |
| Independents/Write-ins | 32,515 | 0.93% | 0 | — | |
| Totals | 3,495,355 | 100.00% | 11 | — | |
| District | Incumbent | 2008 Status | Democratic | Republican | Independent Green | Libertarian | Other Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rob Wittman | Re-election | Bill Day | Rob Wittman | None | Nathan Larson | None |
| 2 | Thelma Drake | Defeated | Glenn Nye | Thelma Drake | None | None | None |
| 3 | Robert C. Scott | Re-election | Robert C. Scott | None | None | None | None |
| 4 | Randy Forbes | Re-election | Andrea Miller | Randy Forbes | None | None | None |
| 5 | Virgil Goode | Defeated | Tom Perriello | Virgil Goode | None | None | None |
| 6 | Bob Goodlatte | Re-election | Sam Rasoul | Bob Goodlatte | None | None | Janice Lee Allen |
| 7 | Eric Cantor | Re-election | Anita Hartke | Eric Cantor | None | None | None |
| 8 | Jim Moran | Re-election | Jim Moran | Mark Ellmore | J. Ron Fisher | None | None |
| 9 | Rick Boucher | Re-election | Rick Boucher | None | None | None | None |
| 10 | Frank Wolf | Re-election | Judy Feder | Frank Wolf | None | None | Neeraj Nigam |
| 11 | Thomas M. Davis | Open | Gerry Connolly | Keith Fimian | Joseph Oddo | None | None |
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 County and independent city results Wittman: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Day: 50-60% 60-70% | |||||||||||||||||
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The candidates appeared on Cathy Lewis's TV program,What Matters, on October 15.[2] The candidates held a spirited and well-attended[3] debate on October 22 in which differing opinions on health care and the economy played a central role. Wittman defended his vote against the bailout package, while Day said he would have voted for it, and Larson said that it would have been better for the economy if the banks had been allowed to fail. On Medicare, Wittman advocated restructuring the system, while Day argued for expanding it and Larson shocked the audience by calling for its abolition.[4][5] Wittman won the election.[6]
IncumbentRob Wittman was theRepublican nominee.[7] AWestmoreland County resident, former State Board of Health field director for the Division of Shellfish Sanitation and past member of theVirginia House of Delegates,[8] he has only held the seat since January 2008, having won thespecial election to succeed deceased CongresswomanJo Ann Davis. He has taken up many of her causes, including theFairTax, veterans' interests and getting rid of the remainder of theghost fleet stationed at theJames River.[9][10][11] Like Davis, he is also introducing legislation to allow Virginia to regulate the importation of trash from other states.[12]
Bill Day was the Democratic nominee.[13] He previously ran forVirginia Delegate representing the 31st District, losing toScott Lingamfelter[14] by a close margin of 45% to 55%.[15]
Day earned a bachelor's degree in construction from Arizona State University in 1974, an MBA from Harvard in 1983, and a master's degree in counseling from West Virginia State University in 1991. He used to live in Fauquier County where he worked as a mental health counselor. Day was very active in the community, and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in both Fauquier and Prince William County, and Mend A House in Prince William County. Day is an advocate of energy independence and renewable energy technologies.[16]
TheDemocratic Party of Virginia held its convention on May 17 inWilliamsburg, Virginia and selected Keith Hummel, the only person running for the Democratic nomination at the time. Only four votes were cast to not nominate anyone.[17] A Westmoreland County physician and self-described "populist Democrat", Hummel also operates a farm and winery. The issues he was running on included enacting trade and tax policies to protect American jobs and American interests (rather than those of a few multinational corporations); using the military for defense rather than offensively; providing better health care and other benefits to veterans; and universal health care.[18]
Anarcho-capitalistCatlett residentNathan Larson filed a declaration of candidacy on May 7, and was certified for the ballot on June 6. He was nominated by theLibertarian Party 1st Congressional District Convention on June 3[19][20] and endorsed by theIndependent Greens of Virginia on June 12.[21] The main issues he was running on arefree market roads andtransit privatization,[22] which he proposed as the solution to DC Metropolitan area traffic congestion, recently ranked the second-worst in the country.[23] He supported auctioning off theInterstate Highway System and rail systems such asAmtrak to private investors.[24] Larson also sought to dissolve the U.S. military and establish a competitive market for defense services.[25] Prior to his campaign, Larson was a student senator andcannabis reform activist atGeorge Mason University.[26][27]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Robert J. Wittman | 203,839 | 56.57 | ||
| Democratic | Bill S. Day | 150,432 | 41.75 | ||
| Libertarian | Nathan D. Larson | 5,265 | 1.46 | ||
| Write-in | Write-ins | 756 | 0.21 | ||
| Turnout | 360,292 | 72.06 | |||
| Republicanhold | Swing | ||||
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 County and independent city results Nye: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Glenn Nye | 141,857 | 52.40 | |||
| Republican | Thelma Drake (incumbent) | 128,486 | 47.46 | |||
| Write-ins | 368 | 0.14 | ||||
| Total votes | 270,711 | 100.00 | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
The District includes Virginia's two largest cities--Norfolk andVirginia Beach, and theVirginia portion of the Eastern Shore. Republican incumbentThelma Drake lost to Democratic nomineeGlenn Nye, a graduate of the School of Foreign Service atGeorgetown University inWashington, D.C., who served as a diplomat inEastern Europe,Kosovo andMacedonia,Singapore,Afghanistan, theWest Bank,Gaza andIraq.
In 2006, Drake survived a bid from DemocratPhil Kellam by only 51.27% to 48.45%.[34] In 2004, Drake received 55% of the vote in this Virginia Beach-based district, which was won by George W. Bush with 57% to 42% for John Kerry in 2004. But in 2005 Democratic Governor Tim Kaine won the district by 50% to 47%.[35] In 2006, Drake may have been hurt by the downfall of Republican U.S. SenatorGeorge Allen, who narrowly lost to DemocratJim Webb, an ex-Republican and former Navy Secretary underRonald Reagan. (Allen carried the district 51%–48%.[36])
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Tossup | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Tossup | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Lean R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Lean R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Lean R | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert C. Scott (incumbent) | 239,911 | 97.02 | |
| Write-ins | 7,377 | 2.98 | ||
| Total votes | 247,288 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
The District runs fromHampton Roads toRichmond. Democratic incumbentRobert C. Scott won unopposed. TheRepublican Party of Virginia did not listed any prospective opponent.[37]
History: Scott won re-election with 96% of the vote in 2006. That year Democrat Webb carried 68% of the district in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 DemocratTim Kaine won the district by 71% to 27% in his gubernatorial race.[35]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Randy Forbes (incumbent) | 199,075 | 59.51 | |
| Democratic | Andrea Miller | 135,041 | 40.37 | |
| Write-ins | 405 | 0.12 | ||
| Total votes | 334,521 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
The District lies in southeastern Virginia. Republican incumbentRandy Forbes won against Democratic nominee Andrea Miller (campaign website).
History: Forbes won with 76% of the vote in 2006. That year Democrat Webb lost the district 45%–54% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine lost the district by 48.3% to 49.6% in his gubernatorial race.[35]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
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 County and independent city results Perriello: 50–60% 60–70% 80–90% Goode: 50–60% 60–70% | ||||||||||||||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Perriello | 158,810 | 50.09 | |||
| Republican | Virgil Goode (incumbent) | 158,083 | 49.86 | |||
| Write-ins | 183 | 0.06 | ||||
| Total votes | 317,076 | 100.00 | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
The District lies in southern and central Virginia. Democratic nomineeTom Perriello defeated Republican incumbentVirgil Goode 50.1% to 49.9%.[38] A recount was conducted and Perriello was finally certified[39] as the winner by 727 of 316,893 votes on December 17, 2008. This was the closest House race in 2008.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee considered Goode a "targeted Republican", based partly on Perriello's early fundraising.[40] On August 1, the DCCC named Perriello as one of its Red to Blue candidates.[41]
History: Goode won re-election with 59% of the vote in 2006. That year Democrat Webb lost the district 45%–54% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 49.6% to 48.4% in his gubernatorial race.[35] Goode originally won his seat as a Democrat in 1996, voted forPresident Clinton's impeachment in 1998, became an Independent in 2000, and then joined the Republican Party in 2002. He became the first Republican to represent the district since 1889.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Lean R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Lean R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Lean R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Lean R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Lean R | November 6, 2008 |
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 County and independent city results Goodlatte: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Rasoul: 50–60% | ||||||||||||||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Goodlatte (incumbent) | 192,350 | 61.57 | |
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul | 114,367 | 36.61 | |
| Independent | Janice Lee Allen | 5,413 | 1.73 | |
| Write-ins | 262 | 0.08 | ||
| Total votes | 312,392 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
The District lies in western Virginia. Republican incumbentBob Goodlatte won against Democratic nomineeSam Rasoul (campaign website) and IndependentJanice Lee Allen (campaign websiteArchived 2021-12-06 at theWayback Machine).
History: Goodlatte won with 75% of the vote in 2006. That year Democrat Webb lost the district 40%–58% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine lost the district by 44% to 53% in his gubernatorial race.[35]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Lean R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
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 County results Cantor: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% Hartke: 50-60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The 7th District included western parts ofRichmond, as well as its nearby suburbs inHenrico County, but otherwise is largely rural. CQ Politics rates the seat "Safe Republican".[42] TheCook Political Report rates it "Solid Republican".[43]
IncumbentEric Cantor was theRepublican nominee. He has held the seat since January 2001, having won in theU.S. House Elections of 2000 to succeed retiring CongressmanThomas J. Bliley, Jr. Cantor won the district in 2006 by 64% to 34%. Eric Cantor won the election, keeping this seat under Republican control.
Anita Hartke was theDemocratic candidate. Mrs. Hartke, 48, is a resident ofAmissville, Virginia inCulpeper County, though the town is primarily located in neighboringRappahannock County. She is the daughter of the three-termUS Senator fromIndiana,Vance Hartke.[44] Her stated positions include improvements on the National Energy Policy by investing inalternative energy in order to reduce the use of foreign oil and fossil fuels. She believes that this would create more jobs that could not beoutsourced while simultaneously fightingglobal warming. She also supportsuniversal health care. Concerning theIraq War, Hartke supports a gradual withdrawal of troops, stating that abrigade should be brought home every month. She supports reform of the controversialNo Child Left Behind Act and increasing funding to the public school system. She also hopes to end student college loan rates in excess of 20%.[45]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Eric Cantor (incumbent) | 233,531 | 62.72 | |
| Democratic | Anita Hartke | 138,123 | 37.10 | |
| Write-ins | 683 | 0.18 | ||
| Total votes | 372,337 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Moran (incumbent) | 222,986 | 67.94 | |
| Republican | Mark Ellmore | 97,425 | 29.68 | |
| Independent Greens | J. Ron Fisher | 6,829 | 2.08 | |
| Write-ins | 957 | 0.29 | ||
| Total votes | 328,197 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
The District lies in heavily suburbanNorthern Virginia. Democratic incumbentJim Moran won against Republican nomineeMark Ellmore and Independent Green J. Ron Fisher.[46] In the June 10, 2008, primary elections, Moran defeated Matthew T. Famiglietti, with 87% of the vote.[47] Ellmore won against Amit Singh, by 56% to 44%.[48]
History: Moran won by 66%–31% in 2006. That year Democrat Webb won the district 69%–30% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 70% to 28% in his gubernatorial race.[35]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
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 County and independent city results Boucher: >90% | ||||||||||||||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Rick Boucher (incumbent) | 207,306 | 97.07 | |
| Write-ins | 6,264 | 2.93 | ||
| Total votes | 213,570 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
The District covers much ofSouthwest Virginia. Democratic incumbentRick Boucher won unopposed for re-election. The Republican Party of Virginia did not list any prospective opponent.[37]
History: Boucher won by 68%–32% in 2006. That year Democrat Webb lost the district 44%–55% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine lost the district by 43% to 55% in his gubernatorial race.[35]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe D | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe D | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Safe D | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Frank Wolf (incumbent) | 223,140 | 58.80 | |
| Democratic | Judy Feder | 147,357 | 38.83 | |
| Independent | Neeraj Nigam | 8,457 | 2.23 | |
| Write-ins | 526 | 0.14 | ||
| Total votes | 379,480 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
The District lies in Northern and northwestern Virginia. It coversLoudoun,Prince William and parts ofFairfax and Fauquier counties, as well asManassas.
Republican incumbentFrank Wolf won against Democratic nomineeJudy Feder and IndependentNeeraj Nigam[46] in the general election in November 2008. Feder defeated Mike R. Turner in the June 10, 2008, Democratic primary election by 62% to 38%.[47][49] On the same day, Wolf facedVern McKinley in the Republican primary and won with 91% of the vote.[48] IndependentNeeraj Nigam also ran in 2006 and received 0.77%.[34]
History: Wolf defeated Feder in 2006, 57% to 41%.[34] That year Democrat Webb won the district 50.0%–48.8% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 50% to 46% in his gubernatorial race.[35] In 2004 George W. Bush won 55% of this district.
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Likely R | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Safe R | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Safe R | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Safe R | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Likely R | November 6, 2008 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gerry Connolly | 196,598 | 54.69 | |
| Republican | Keith Fimian | 154,758 | 43.05 | |
| Independent Greens | Joseph Oddo | 7,271 | 2.02 | |
| Write-ins | 864 | 0.24 | ||
| Total votes | 359,491 | 100.00 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
Democratic nomineeGerry Connolly, Chairman of theFairfax County Board of Supervisors, won against Republican nomineeKeith Fimian, a former CPA, and Independent Green candidateJoseph Oddo in this open-seat race. Republican incumbentThomas M. Davis announced his retirement on January 30, 2008. In 1994 Davis toppled one-term DemocratLeslie L. Byrne and rarely faced serious opposition in intervening years. However, his district, located in the wealthyNorthern Virginia suburbs ofWashington, DC, has become increasingly Democratic over the years and will definitely be a top Democratic target. George W. Bush barely won this district with 50% to 49% for John Kerry, which includes part ofFairfax andPrince William counties, in 2004.
Fimian has personal wealth that he can draw upon.[50] So far he has self-financed $325,000 of his campaign funds.
Connolly won the June 10, 2008 primary with 58% of the vote, against Leslie L. Byrne (33%), Doug Denneny (6%), and Lori P. Alexander (3%).[47][51] Oddo is certified for the ballot. He favors light rail as an alternative toHOT lanes.
History: Davis won re-election 56%–44% in 2006. That year Democrat Webb won the district 55%–44% in his Senate race.[36] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 56% to 42% in his gubernatorial race.[35]
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[28] | Likely D(flip) | November 6, 2008 |
| Rothenberg[29] | Likely D(flip) | November 2, 2008 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[30] | Lean D(flip) | November 6, 2008 |
| Real Clear Politics[31] | Lean D(flip) | November 7, 2008 |
| CQ Politics[32] | Likely D(flip) | November 6, 2008 |
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