Robert J. Wittman
RIncumbentFEC H8VA01147
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Raised this cycle$5.4M
Cash on hand: $797K
2026 race
VA-01 — U.S. House
2 candidates on the November ballot. Incumbent: Robert J. Wittman.
Read the record. Not the rhetoric.
See where these candidates stand — and who's funding them.
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How we got here · 2 earlier contests
Democratic primary · Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Called by AP
Shannon L. TaylorWon53.0%
- DAta-Ul-Salaam BhattiDefeated19.7%
- DJason KnappDefeated10.0%
- DElizabeth Dempsey BeggsDefeated7.2%
- DMelvin TullDefeated4.3%
- DTimothy Stephen CywinskiDefeated3.0%
- DEricka KoppDefeated2.8%
Republican primary · Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Called by audit: web-verified
Robert J. WittmanWon
Election held
Counting
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Results appear here once a race is called and verified. Official returns from the Virginia Department of Elections.
Make sure you can vote
Disclosed money in race
$15M
Candidate + outside spending. See finance breakdown below.
Incumbent
Currently in office
Challengers
Sorted by fundraising
Shannon L. Taylor
DChallengerFEC H6VA01299
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Raised this cycle$4.6M
Cash on hand: $599K
10 defeated candidates — show
Jason Knapp
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01307
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Raised this cycle$612K
Cash on hand: $6K
Ata-Ul-Salaam Bhatti
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01232
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Raised this cycle$330K
Cash on hand: $11K
Melvin Tull
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01208
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Raised this cycle$294K
Cash on hand: $0
Lisa Vedernikova Khanna
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01190
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Raised this cycle$278K
Cash on hand: $0
Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01315
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Raised this cycle$199K
Cash on hand: $0
Sean Sublette
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01257
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Raised this cycle$66K
Cash on hand: $0
Andrew Lucchetti
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01216
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Raised this cycle$58K
Cash on hand: $0
Amanda Pohl
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01182
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Raised this cycle$51K
Cash on hand: $0
Timothy Stephen Cywinski
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01273
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Raised this cycle$36K
Cash on hand: −$578
Ericka Kopp
DDefeatedChallengerFEC H6VA01240
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Raised this cycle$16K
Cash on hand: $3K
Local signal
Early read on VA-01 — U.S. House
A directional read on where this seat is trending, from the signals we have so far. This is an early scaffold — more inputs light up as coverage and constituent activity accrue.
Coverage tone · the matchup
Recent news coverage of the nominees heading to the general election.
Robert J. Wittmanmixed
0 pos1 neutral0 neg1 articles
Shannon L. Taylorleans positive
2 pos10 neutral1 neg13 articles
A media signal, not a poll of the district.
Constituent stakes
No one here has staked a position on a tracked vote yet. As neighbors weigh in on /pressure campaigns, the district's lean will show up here.
Money in the race
Finance breakdown
Disclosed funding shaping this race — both the money candidates raise themselves and the outside spending dropped by independent groups. Issue-ad spending by 501(c)(4) groups is excluded; the FEC doesn't require disclosure of it. See the note below for details.
Candidate fundraising: FEC reports through October 14, 2026 · 2025–26 cycle
Total disclosed
$15M
Candidate fundraising + independent expenditures (FEC).
Candidate-direct (Schedule A)
$12M
Raised by candidate committees themselves.
Outside spending (Schedule E)
$3.0M
$422K for · $2.6M against
| Candidate | Raised directly | Outside for | Outside against | Net in corner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Shannon L. Taylor(D) + SD 2026 $267K + PROGRESSIVE TURNOUT PROJECT $133K + HMP $20K | $4.6M | $422K | — | $5.0M |
Robert J. Wittman(R)incumbent − HMP $1.7M − LCV VICTORY FUND $828K | $5.4M | — | $2.6M | $2.9M |
10 defeated candidates — show finances
| Candidate | Raised directly | Outside for | Outside against | Net in corner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jason Knapp(D)defeated | $612K | — | — | $612K |
Ata-Ul-Salaam Bhatti(D)defeated | $330K | — | — | $330K |
Melvin Tull(D)defeated | $294K | — | — | $294K |
Lisa Vedernikova Khanna(D)defeated | $278K | — | — | $278K |
Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs(D)defeated | $199K | — | — | $199K |
Sean Sublette(D)defeated | $66K | — | — | $66K |
Andrew Lucchetti(D)defeated | $58K | — | — | $58K |
Amanda Pohl(D)defeated | $51K | — | — | $51K |
Timothy Stephen Cywinski(D)defeated | $36K | — | — | $36K |
Ericka Kopp(D)defeated | $16K | — | — | $16K |
Where the money comes from
In-state vs out-of-state
Share of each candidate's itemized individual contributions from donors inside VA versus the rest of the country. Excludes sub-$200 unitemized donations (no geography on file) and PAC money — see note below.
Shannon L. Taylor(D)54% in-state · $1.5M itemized
$787K in-state$666K out-of-state
Robert J. Wittman(R)49% in-state · $2.9M itemized
$1.4M in-state$1.5M out-of-state
10 defeated candidates — show
Jason Knapp(D)defeated18% in-state · $177K itemized
$32K in-state$145K out-of-state
Ata-Ul-Salaam Bhatti(D)defeated38% in-state · $219K itemized
$83K in-state$135K out-of-state
Melvin Tull(D)defeated75% in-state · $164K itemized
$123K in-state$41K out-of-state
Lisa Vedernikova Khanna(D)defeated23% in-state · $216K itemized
$50K in-state$165K out-of-state
Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs(D)defeated67% in-state · $60K itemized
$40K in-state$20K out-of-state
Sean Sublette(D)defeated40% in-state · $28K itemized
$11K in-state$17K out-of-state
Andrew Lucchetti(D)defeated95% in-state · $28K itemized
$27K in-state$1K out-of-state
Amanda Pohl(D)defeated72% in-state · $41K itemized
$29K in-state$11K out-of-state
Timothy Stephen Cywinski(D)defeated90% in-state · $20K itemized
$18K in-state$2K out-of-state
Ericka Kopp(D)defeated100% in-state · $9K itemized
$9K in-state$0 out-of-state
What's counted, what isn't
Candidate-direct is each campaign's reported receipts on FEC Schedule A — individual contributions plus PAC contributions to the candidate's own committee — through the most recent filing.
Outside spending is independent expenditures on FEC Schedule E: money spent by PACs, super PACs, and party committees for or against a candidate, without legal coordination with the campaign. The committees listed under each candidate are the largest disclosed spenders on either side.
In-state vs out-of-state covers only itemized individual contributions — donations over $200, which are the only ones that carry a contributor address at the FEC. Sub-$200 unitemized donations (often a large share for grassroots campaigns) have no geography on file and are excluded, as is PAC money. So the percentages describe where a candidate's itemized individual money comes from, not where every dollar raised comes from.
Not counted: 501(c)(4) "social welfare" organizations run issue ads that frequently mention candidates by name but aren't classified as express advocacy under FEC rules — they file no Schedule E and don't appear in this breakdown. Press reporting on a race may cite figures that include this dark-money spending; ours doesn't.
Where they stand
Issue-by-issue comparison
Positions extracted from each candidate's campaign issues page by AI. Contested rows — where candidates disagree with each other — appear first.
| Statement | Wittman | Taylor | You |
|---|---|---|---|
Foreign Policycontested The U.S. should spend more on the military. | — | ||
Healthcare Medicare should be allowed to negotiate lower prescription drug prices. | — | ||
Healthcare Enhanced ACA premium subsidies should be made permanent at expanded levels. | — | ||
Agriculture Federal funding to extend broadband access to rural areas should be expanded. | — | ||
Antitrust & Competition Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) should be subject to stricter federal antitrust scrutiny. | — | ||
Economy Reducing the national debt should be a higher priority than new spending. | — | ||
Economy Tariffs on foreign goods should be used to protect American jobs. | — | ||
Economy The expanded child tax credit (refundable, paid monthly) should be made permanent. | — | ||
Education Parents should be able to use public funds — through vouchers — to send their kids to private or charter schools. | — | ||
Education Education policy should be set by states, not the federal Department of Education. | — | ||
Environment The government should set legally enforceable limits on greenhouse gas emissions. | — | ||
Environment Government environmental reviews for energy and infrastructure projects should move faster, even if it means fewer reviews. | — | ||
Environment The government should stop subsidizing oil and gas companies. | — | ||
Environment Federal permitting and subsidies for new nuclear power plants should be expanded. | — | ||
Healthcare The government should provide healthcare for everyone. | — | ||
Healthcare A government-run public health insurance option should be added to the ACA marketplace. | — | ||
Immigration The U.S. should do more to enforce immigration laws and secure the border. | — | ||
Governance & Other There should be term limits for senators and representatives. | — | ||
Governance & Other Outside political spending — from PACs and super PACs — should be limited more strictly. | — | ||
Social Security Future workers should have to wait longer to collect full Social Security. | — | ||
Taxes People making over $400,000 a year should pay higher taxes. | — | ||
Trade Presidents should be able to impose broad tariffs unilaterally under emergency powers (IEEPA-style authority). | — | ||
Trade U.S. trade policy should reduce economic interdependence with China, especially on technology and critical minerals. | — | ||
Veterans The VA should cover more veterans and more health conditions. | — | ||
Veterans Veterans should be able to use VA benefits at any doctor, not just VA hospitals. | — |
SupportsOpposesNo public positionRinged = confirmed by the campaign
Recent coverage
In the news
Shannon L. Taylor
- https://www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-6026471NPRNov 4
- https://www.npr.org/2026/11/03/nx-s1-6026471/2026-election-night-results-when-to-watchNPRNov 4
- A referendum on Trump, election monitors and a Democratic shift: What to watch on Election DayThe Virginian-PilotNov 3
- Election Day stakes: Hampton Roads will help shape balance of power in CongressThe Virginian-PilotOct 31
About this race page
Candidate roster is sourced from the FEC's active-candidate list for the 2026 cycle. Fundraising totals reflect committee filings through the last reporting period.
Alignment % compares the candidate's extracted policy positions against your quiz answers. Positions are pulled from the candidate's campaign issues page by AI; we save the source quote for each position so you can verify the extraction. Candidates without a campaign issues page show position data pending — we're working through the roster and re-checking stale extractions every 90 days.
News coverage is from the GDELT 2.0 global news feed, filtered to a curated list of national, political, and regional outlets.