Virginia's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018

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Virginia's 2nd Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 29, 2018
Primary: June 12, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent:
Scott Taylor (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Virginia
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Tilt Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
See also
Virginia's 2nd Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th
Virginia elections, 2018
U.S. Congress elections, 2018
U.S. Senate elections, 2018
U.S. House elections, 2018


Businesswoman Elaine Luria (D) defeated incumbent Scott Taylor (R) in the general election on November 6, 2018, to represent Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.

All 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. The Democratic Party gained a net total of 40 seats, winning control of the chamber. This race was identified as a 2018 battleground that might have affected partisan control of the U.S. House in the 116th Congress. Heading into the election, the Republican Party was in the majority holding 235 seats to Democrats' 193 seats, with seven vacant seats. Democrats needed to win 23 GOP-held seats in 2018 to win control of the House. From 1918 to 2016, the president’s party lost an average of 29 seats in midterm elections.

Taylor was first elected in 2016 by a margin of 23 percentage points. That year, Donald Trump (R) carried the 2nd District by a margin of 3 percentage points. Virginia's 2nd Congressional District had primarily elected Republican candidates in the previous 16 years; between 2000 and 2016, the only Democratic candidate to be elected to the U.S. House from the district was Glenn Nye (D) in 2008. In 2010, Scott Rigell defeated Nye by a margin of 11 percentage points.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Virginia District 2

Elaine Luria defeated incumbent Scott Taylor in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 2 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Elaine_Luria-1.jpg
Elaine Luria (D)
 
51.1
 
139,571
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Scott_Taylor.jpg
Scott Taylor (R)
 
48.8
 
133,458
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
371

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 273,400
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 2

Elaine Luria defeated Karen Mallard in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 2 on June 12, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Elaine_Luria-1.jpg
Elaine Luria
 
62.3
 
17,552
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/h9z_nq6e_400x400.jpg
Karen Mallard
 
37.7
 
10,610

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 28,162
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 2

Incumbent Scott Taylor defeated Mary Jones in the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 2 on June 12, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Scott_Taylor.jpg
Scott Taylor
 
76.0
 
28,515
Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/JCC_Mary_Jones.jpg
Mary Jones
 
24.0
 
8,982

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

Total votes: 37,497
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages


Elaine Luria, businesswoman
Elaine Luria.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: No

Political office: None

Biography: Luria graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in physics and history in 1997. She received a master's degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University in 2004. In 2013, Luria founded The Mermaid Factory, a crafts business selling paintable clay mermaids. She retired from the Navy in 2017.

Key messages
  • Luria said that her experience as a veteran will help her represent the district, saying her 20 years of experience as a surface warfare officer and nuclear engineer in the Navy "makes her the clear choice to represent this military-rich district with the world’s largest navy base and among the highest concentration of veterans, including the largest number of female veterans nationwide."[1][2]
  • Luria said that her experience as a mother and small business owner would help her be a more effective member of Congress. Her campaign website stated that "she can relate to the challenges and potential of small businesses and their impact on the community. And, as a mother, she will fight to ensure a brighter future for every child."[1]
  • Luria said that she was running to expand opportunity, saying that "too many Americans are working hard and getting less."[3]



Scott Taylor, U.S. representative
Scott Taylor.jpg

Campaign website Facebook Twitter

Party: Republican

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: U.S. House of Representatives (Assumed office: 2017), Virginia House of Delegates (2014-2016)

Biography: After graduating from high school, Taylor joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a sniper in the Navy SEALs. Taylor worked in real estate after leaving the Navy. In 2013, he received a bachelor's degree in international relations from Harvard University. As of the 2018 election, Taylor was working towards a master's degree in international relations from Harvard.

Key messages
  • Taylor pointed voters to his record in Congress, saying that he supported increased funding for the military and veterans' care, reduced tax rates, the repeal of Obama-era regulations, and a healthcare plan to replace Obamacare.[4]
  • Taylor pointed to his membership on the Appropriations Committee, responsible for developing the government's spending plan, calling it "an incredible responsibility which I take very seriously."[4]
  • Taylor said that his military service had given him "the courage to serve and to lead", pointing to his service on Navy SEAL Team 4 and as a marksmanship and reconnaissance instructor after being injured in combat in Iraq.[5]


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, 2018
Poll Poll sponsor Democratic Party Elaine Luria Republican Party Scott TaylorUndecided/OtherMargin of ErrorSample Size
The New York Times Upshot/Siena College
(October 18-22, 2018)		K.A. 42%45%13%+/-4.6508
Christopher Newport University
(October 3-12, 2018)		K.A. 43%50%7%+/-4.0798
Siena College
(September 26 - October 1, 2018)		The New York Times 41%49%10%+/-4.5500
Change Research
(September 26-28, 2018)		K.A. 46%46%8%+/---758
Garin-Hart-Yang
(September 5-8, 2018)		The Luria campaign 51%43%6%+/-5.0404
Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected]


Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Scott Taylor Republican Party $4,035,206 $4,083,442 $16,731 As of December 31, 2018
Elaine Luria Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.


Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[6][7][8]

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.


Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[13]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[14][15][16]

Race ratings: Virginia's 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
Race trackerRace ratings
October 30, 2018October 23, 2018October 16, 2018October 9, 2018
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesTilt RepublicanTilt RepublicanTilt RepublicanTilt Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean RepublicanToss-upToss-upToss-up
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season.

District analysis

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+3, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 3 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Virginia's 2nd Congressional District the 212th most Republican nationally.[17]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.93. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.93 points toward that party.[18]

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites:

Timeline

  • October 29, 2018: The Congressional Leadership Fund launched a $500,000 television ad campaign opposing Luria.
  • October 23, 2018: Vice President Mike Pence (R) made a campaign appearance in Virginia Beach on Taylor's behalf.
  • October 23, 2018: Taylor and Luria met for a debate hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.
  • October 22, 2018: A New York Times Upshot/Siena College poll found Taylor about even with Luria, with 45 percent support to Luria's 42 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.6 percentage points.
  • October 19, 2018: Independence USA PAC reported spending $264,000 on an ad campaign supporting Luria.
  • October 19, 2018: Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) made a campaign appearance on Luria's behalf.
  • October 15, 2018: A Christopher Newport University poll found Taylor apparently leading Luria, with 50 percent support to Luria's 43 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.0 percentage points.
  • October 1, 2018: A Siena College/New York Times poll found Taylor apparently leading Luria, with 49 percent support to Luria's 41 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.
  • September 28, 2018: A Change Research poll found Taylor and Luria tied 46-46. The poll did not report a margin of error.
  • September 20, 2018: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released an ad opposed to Taylor titled Overwatch.
  • September 17, 2018: A Garin-Hart-Yang poll commissioned by the Luria campaign found Luria apparently leading Taylor, with 51 percent support to Taylor's 43 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 5.0 percentage points.
  • August 8, 2018: The Luria campaign released an ad titled Sea Change.

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic Party Elaine Luria

Support

"True Leader" - Luria campaign ad, released September 25, 2018
"Tell You" - Luria campaign ad, released September 12, 2018
"Fight for Virginia" - Luria campaign ad, released August 28, 2018
"Sea Change" - Luria campaign ad, released August 8, 2018

Oppose

"Agenda" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 28, 2018
"Dominoes" - NRCC ad, released October 9, 2018
"Dangerous" - NRCC ad, released October 2, 2018
"Lurking" - NRCC ad, released September 25, 2018

Republican Party Scott Taylor

Support

"The Road" - National Republican Congressional Committee ad, released August 8, 2018

Oppose

"Revealed" - League of Conservation Voters ad, released October 23, 2018
"Rules" - DCCC ad, released October 22, 2018
"Scandal" - EMILY's List ad, released October 16, 2018
"1 DAY AFTER" - Pride Fund ad, released October 10, 2018
"Happy" - Luria campaign ad, released October 8, 2018
"The File" - DCCC ad, released October 3, 2018
"Making It Worse" - House Majority PAC ad, released October 2, 2018
"Overwatch" - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, released September 20, 2018
"What It Means" - House Majority PAC ad, released September 17, 2018

Noteworthy events

Mike Pence campaign appearance

Vice President Mike Pence (R) made a campaign appearance in Virginia Beach on behalf of Taylor on October 24, 2018.[23]

Joe Biden campaign appearance

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) made a campaign appearance on behalf of Luria on October 19, 2018.[24]

Allegations of petition fraud

On August 7, 2018, Circuit Judge Glenn R. Croshaw appointed Roanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Donald Caldwell to serve as a special prosecutor following allegations that members of Scott Taylor's (R) campaign staff had forged signatures on nominating papers submitted for Shaun Brown. Brown had sought the Democratic nomination for the seat but withdrew from the primary to run as an independent after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee endorsed her opponent Elaine Luria (D). In the days leading up to the appointment of the special prosecutor, several individuals whose names appeared on the petitions—including state Del. Glenn Davis (R)—said that their signatures were not valid, citing misspellings in names and addresses. In an interview, Taylor said that he was aware that members of his campaign had been collecting signatures to get Brown on the general election ballot but that he had not instructed them to do so. Taylor added that he had fired his campaign consultant following the allegations and that the news reinforced his earlier decision to fire his campaign manager.[25][26]

On August 14, 2018, the Democratic Party of Virginia filed a suit in Richmond City Circuit Court calling for the removal of Shaun Brown from the ballot, citing the allegations that Taylor's campaign staff had forged signatures on Brown's nomination petitions. Circuit Judge Gregory Rupe ordered Brown's removal from the ballot on September 5. In an opinion published the following day, Rupe found that Scott Taylor's (R) staffers had collected 600 signatures on Brown's behalf.[27] Brown appealed the ruling on September 10, 2018.[28] The Supreme Court of Virginia rejected Brown's appeal on September 13, 2018, on the grounds that she had not included a copy of the original case's proceedings in her filing.[29]

Debates and forums

  • Taylor and Luria met for a debate hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce on October 23, 2018.[30] Click here for footage of the debate.

Campaign themes

Democratic Party Elaine Luria

Luria's campaign website stated the following:

"

As a Navy commander, my philosophy was simple: “Be Good, Do Good Work.”

That’s what most Americans wake up in the morning and try to do– for their family, their career, and the people they care about. Because in America if you work hard and play by the rules, you expect that you and your family will have an opportunity to succeed.

But today, too many Americans are working hard and getting less. That’s because politicians in Washington aren’t looking out for them. That’s why I am running for Congress.

I am running for Congress to fight for the families of coastal Virginia. The core values of Security, Equality, and Prosperity will serve as my compass in representing the people of Virginia’s 2nd District:

Security
Security not only means that we are providing for the common defense of our nation—and have a strong and ready military to ensure the security of our citizens.

Security means that we are healthy—and have reliable and affordable choices in healthcare.

Security means that we are secure in our neighborhoods—that we do not fear for our safety or that our children are kept safe in their schools. To do this, we must implement universal background checks on all gun sales, prohibit the sale of assault weapons, and repeal the Dickey Amendment so that the CDC can study gun violence. See Elaine’s full position here.

Security means that we keep our obligations to our parents— and preserve Social Security and Medicare that generations have collectively built as promises made to provide and care for those who have worked so hard.

Security means that we must protect our environment— so that we, along with future generations, can breathe fresh air and drink clean water.

Security means that we are secure in our homes—that we have the means and resources to provide stable housing for our families.

Security means that we protect the weakest among us—that we promote, protect, and defend animal welfare by enforcing strict prohibitions on animal cruelty, horse slaughter, and inhumane testing practices.

Equality
Equality means that we are all guaranteed to be treated equitably — regardless of our sex, gender identity, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

Equality means that no one should be made to feel unsafe at their workplace— whether that is in an office or on a warship— every American has the right to be unobstructed in their mission to do good work for our communities.

Equality means that every woman and every person of color has equal access to capital and equal pay for equal work.

Equality means that every child has access to a quality public education— from pre-K to college or technical training— so that they have the tools they need to succeed later in life.

Equality means that every American has equal access to the ballot box— so that their voices can be heard and our Democracy remains responsive to the people.

Equality means that every woman has the autonomy to make their own healthcare choices and has access to quality reproductive healthcare.

Prosperity
Prosperity means that America is investing in our infrastructure— ensuring the safety and vitality of our roads, bridges, ports, tunnels, and rails.

Prosperity means that Americans have access to jobs with living wages and benefits— so that every family can build and save for future generations.

Prosperity means that America is investing in our future— with world-class educational opportunities so that our children can thrive in a global marketplace.

Prosperity means that every American can afford to see a doctor when they are sick and are not one car crash away from financial hardship.

Prosperity means that we protect and preserve our planet for future generations— by incentivizing green innovation.

Prosperity means that we protect and preserve our democracy— from enemies foreign and domestic— to safeguard free and fair elections.[31]

”
—Elaine for Congress[32]


Republican Party Scott Taylor

Taylor's campaign website stated the following:

"

I am so deeply honored and humbled to serve as your representative to the US House of Representatives. Every time I walk onto the floor of the House I am instantly reminded of the great responsibility my colleagues and I have to get our country headed in the right direction again.

In January 2017, I was selected to serve on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution states, in part, “No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law.” The Committee, together with the Senate Appropriations Committee, develops the spending plan for the US government. This is an incredible responsibility which I take very seriously.

As I travel through our amazing congressional district I am constantly reminded of the many diverse communities in our district. I am always happy to meet new people, listen to their concerns and keep those concerns in mind as I represent the almost 750,000 people who live in our district.

We have many accomplishments in the time that I have served as your Representative:

  • We have invested substantially in rebuilding and modernizing our armed forces – this improves our military readiness, provides more funds for training and maintenance and creates many new jobs in our district
  • We are improving veterans’ health care; although the VA has more to do to tackle long wait times for appointments
  • We passed historic tax reforms to cut personal and business income taxes which has enabled families in our district to keep more of their hard-earned money and companies are investing in their employees and their future
  • We have repealed numerous overly-burdensome federal regulations to unleash America’s business community and we are putting an end to the wage stagnation that has plagued our country for 20 years – people are finally making more money
  • We are working to replace Obamacare with a health care insurance system that improves affordability, accessibility and quality of care; importantly, any plan I support must include a health insurance plan for those with pre-existing conditions
  • We are working to ensure that our trade deals are fair to American workers; the economic devastation realized across too much of America because of bad trade deals has to be reversed.

During the time that I have served in public office I have done my very best to serve and represent everyone – no matter whether you’re white, black or brown, civilian or military – Everyone! I passionately believe that every American must have the opportunity to succeed and be heard.[31]

”
—Scott Taylor for Congress[33]


Social media

Twitter accounts

Facebook accounts

Click the icons below to visit the candidates' Facebook pages.

Democratic Party Elaine Luria Facebook

Republican Party Scott Taylor Facebook

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 133 Virginia counties—3.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Buckingham County, Virginia 11.28% 2.43% 0.87%
Caroline County, Virginia 5.02% 8.24% 11.97%
Essex County, Virginia 2.14% 7.30% 10.35%
Nelson County, Virginia 5.59% 2.72% 9.15%
Westmoreland County, Virginia 7.14% 6.95% 10.24%

Note: Although it is highlighted in the map above, the city of Chesapeake is not considered a county and not included in our calculations as such.

In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).


District history

2016

See also: Virginia's 2nd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Scott Rigell (R) did not seek re-election in 2016. Scott Taylor (R) defeated Shaun Brown (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Taylor defeated District 4 incumbent Randy Forbes and Pat Cardwell in the Republican primary on June 14, 2016. Forbes chose to seek re-election to the open 2nd District after redistricting flipped his district from safely Republican to a safely Democratic seat.[34][35]

U.S. House, Virginia District 2 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngScott Taylor 61.3% 190,475
     Democratic Shaun Brown 38.5% 119,440
     K.A. Write-in 0.2% 652
Total Votes 310,567
Source: Virginia Department of Elections


U.S. House, Virginia District 2 Republican Primary, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngScott Taylor 52.6% 21,406
Randy Forbes Incumbent 40.6% 16,552
Pat Cardwell 6.8% 2,773
Total Votes 40,731
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

2014

See also: Virginia's 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

Incumbent Scott Rigell (R) won re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. He defeated Suzanne Patrick (D) in the general election.

U.S. House, Virginia District 2 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngScott Rigell Incumbent 58.7% 101,558
     Democratic Suzanne Patrick 41.1% 71,178
     K.A. Write-in 0.2% 324
Total Votes 173,060
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

State overview

Partisan control

This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Virginia heading into the 2018 elections.

Congressional delegation

State executives

State legislature

  • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. They had a 50-49 majority in the state House and a 21-19 majority in the state Senate.

Trifecta status

  • Virginia was under divided government, meaning that the two parties shared control of the state government. Ralph Northam (D) served as governor, while Republicans controlled the state legislature.

2018 elections

See also: Virginia elections, 2018

Virginia held elections for the following positions in 2018:

Demographics

Demographic data for Virginia
 VirginiaU.S.
Total population:8,367,587316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):39,4903,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:69%73.6%
Black/African American:19.2%12.6%
Asian:6%5.1%
Native American:0.3%0.8%
Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
Two or more:3.2%3%
Hispanic/Latino:8.6%17.1%
Bildung
High school graduation rate:88.3%86.7%
College graduation rate:36.3%29.8%
Income
Median household income:$65,015$53,889
Persons below poverty level:13%11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Virginia.
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

As of July 2016, Virginia's three largest cities were Virginia Beach (pop. est. 450,435), Norfolk (pop. est. 244,703), and Chesapeake (pop. est. 240,397).[36][37]

State election history

This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Virginia from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Virginia State Board of Elections.

Historical elections

Presidential elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Virginia every year from 2000 to 2016.

Election results (President of the United States), Virginia 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2016 Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 49.7% Republican Party Donald Trump 44.4% 5.3%
2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 51.1% Republican Party Mitt Romney 47.2% 3.9%
2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 52.6% Republican Party John McCain 46.3% 6.3%
2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 53.7% Democratic Party John Kerry 45.5% 8.2%
2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 52.5% Democratic Party Al Gore 44.4% 12.0%

U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Virginia from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

Election results (U.S. Senator), Virginia 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2014 Democratic Party Mark Warner 49.1% Republican Party Ed Gillespie 48.3% 0.8%
2012 Democratic Party Tim Kaine 52.8% Republican Party George Allen 46.9% 5.9%
2008 Democratic Party Mark Warner 65.0% Republican Party Jim Gilmore 33.7% 31.3%
2006 Democratic Party Jim Webb (Virginia) 49.6% Republican Party George Allen 49.2% 0.4%
2002 Republican Party John Warner 82.6% Grey.png Nancy B. Spannaus (Independent) 9.7% 72.9%
2000 Republican Party George Allen 52.3% Democratic Party Chuck Robb 47.7% 4.6%

Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Virginia.

Election results (Governor), Virginia 2000-2016
Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
2017 Democratic Party Ralph Northam 53.9% Republican Party Ed Gillespie 45.0% 8.9%
2013 Democratic Party Terry McAuliffe 47.8% Republican Party Ken Cuccinelli 45.2% 2.6%
2009 Republican Party Bob McDonnell 58.6% Democratic Party Creigh Deeds 41.3% 17.3%
2005 Democratic Party Tim Kaine 51.7% Republican Party Jerry Kilgore 46.0% 5.7%
2001 Democratic Party Mark Warner 52.2% Republican Party Mark Earley 47.0% 5.2%

Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Virginia in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

Congressional delegation, Virginia 2000-2016
Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
2016 Republican Party 7 63.6% Democratic Party 4 36.4% R+3
2014 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5
2012 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5
2010 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5
2008 Republican Party 5 45.4% Democratic Party 6 54.5% D+1
2006 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5
2004 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5
2002 Republican Party 8 72.7% Democratic Party 3 27.3% R+5
2000 Republican Party 7 50.0% Democratic Party 3 50.0% R+4

Trifectas, 1992-2017

A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

Virginia Party Control: 1992-2024
Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Governor D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R
Senate D D D D S S R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R D R R R R R D D D D D
House D D D D D D S S R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D R R D

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Elaine for Congress, "Home," accessed October 1, 2018
  2. ↑ Youtube, "Elaine Luria for Congress: Sea Change," August 8, 2018
  3. ↑ Elaine for Congress, "Why I'm Running," accessed October 1, 2018
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Scott Taylor for Congress, "Home," accessed October 1, 2018
  5. ↑ Scott Taylor for Congress, "Biography," accessed October 26, 2018
  6. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
  7. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
  8. ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
  9. ↑ Politico, "White House braces for midterm House loss," October 29, 2018
  10. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Schedule E: Independent Expenditures," accessed September 14, 2018
  11. ↑ Politico, "Priorities and HMP unveil ‘eight-figure’ digital campaign," September 18, 2018
  12. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Independent Expenditures - Independence USA PAC," accessed October 25, 2018
  13. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  14. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  15. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  16. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  17. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  18. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  19. ↑ Globe Newswire, "AMBASSADOR JOHN BOLTON ENDORSES TEN VETERANS FOR CONGRESS," February 21, 2018
  20. ↑ Mary Jones for Congress, "Christopher Ekstrom Endorses Mary Jones for Congress," December 19, 2017
  21. ↑ Mary Jones for Congress, "Virginia Tea Party Patriots Founder Rick Buchanan Endorses Mary Jones," January 22, 2018
  22. ↑ Mary Jones for Congress, "ALIPAC Endorses Scott Taylor’s GOP primary opponent, Mary Jones," December 18, 2017
  23. ↑ WBOC 16, "Pence Condemns Bombs at Virginia Campaign Stop for Congressman," October 25, 2018
  24. ↑ Daily Press, "Biden stumps for Luria, touts union ties," October 19, 2018
  25. ↑ The Washington Post, "Special prosecutor investigating possible election fraud in Rep. Scott Taylor’s race," August 7, 2018
  26. ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Rep. Scott Taylor severs ties with campaign consultant; special prosecutor assigned to investigate ballot fraud allegations," August 7, 2018
  27. ↑ WTKR, "In written opinion, judge rules all signatures collected in support of Shaun Brown’s candidacy are invalid," September 6, 2018
  28. ↑ 13 News Now, "Shaun Brown appeals to Virginia Supreme Court in petition case," September 10, 2018
  29. ↑ The Virginian-Pilot, "Shaun Brown loses bid to stay on congressional ballot, but she'll keep fighting," September 13, 2018
  30. ↑ WTKR, "Watch: Debate between Congressman Scott Taylor, Elaine Luria for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional seat," October 23, 2018
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  32. ↑ Elaine for Congress, "Why I'm Running," accessed September 25, 2018
  33. ↑ Scott Taylor for Congress, "Home," accessed September 25, 2018
  34. ↑ The New York Times, "Virginia Primary Results," June 14, 2016
  35. ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Candidates," accessed September 8, 2016
  36. ↑ Virginia Demographics, "Virginia Cities by Population," accessed September 3, 2018
  37. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Quickfacts Virginia," accessed September 3, 2018
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Virginia's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Tim Kaine (D)
Mark Warner (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
Bob Good (R)
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
Democratic Party (8)
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