Democratic primary voters picked their nominees on Tuesday for three battleground House seats in Virginia that are likely to determine control of the lower chamber in the 2026 midterm elections.Democrats’ hopes of expanding their House majority in Virginia took a major hit this spring after the state’s Supreme Court struck down a Democrat-backed mid-decade redistricting plan, leaving the current congressional map in place for the 2026 elections. The proposal would have transformed the state’s current delegation, split between six Democrats and five Republicans, into a 10-1 Democratic near-lock.Even without new district lines, Democrats believe they are competitive in three Republican-held districts, and winning any of those races could prove decisive in the battle for control of the House this November.

Virginia’s 1st Congressional District: Taylor vs. Wittman

Collage of Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), left, and Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, right. (AP photos)

​The race to represent Virginia’s 1st Congressional District is considered a toss-up, with Democrats picking Henrico County prosecutor Shannon Taylor to face off against Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), who has held the seat since 2007.​Taylor is running on a progressive “Serve the People First” platform that calls for mandatory jail time for politicians caught stealing taxpayer funding and a lifetime ban on congressional federal lobbying.​“I am proposing an agenda to ban stock trading by members of Congress who have information which no other American has access to, to stop the revolving door that allows Washington politicians to cash in on their influence by becoming lobbyists, and to mandate jail time for politicians who break the public trust,” Taylor’s campaign platform says.Virginia’s 1st District includes early colonial settlements such as Williamsburg and Jamestown, as well as the suburbs of Richmond. In 2024, President Donald Trump received 52% of the vote to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’s 47% in the district.​Wittman, meanwhile, prioritizes strong national defense and border security. His position as vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee allows Wittman to focus on Virginia’s large naval base economy and to exert direct influence over military policy at the Pentagon.​Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District: Luria vs. Kiggans