The virginia delegation
congressional officials …
Virginia has a somewhat diverse but electorally stable congressional delegation.
Of the 13 members, two are female, and 11 are male. Including the first Hindu member of Congress from Virginia, two are minority representation through the end of the year. Eight are lawyers, two are former governors, two are former lieutenant governors, several are business people, one is a former NSA officer, one was a former national party chair, and one is a former Ambassador. One member holds a doctorate, while five have Master’s degrees.
Three members of the Virginia congressional delegation are former military members. A few are authors.
The average tenure for the delegation is five terms, assuming everyone completes their service through the end of 2026. The longest-serving member has been in Congress for 17 terms.
Three members of the Virginia delegation are freshmen .
When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!)
If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.
Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of push back on former and now current President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are vital to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. For example, three of the 11 Virginia delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results the same evening as Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on critical matters because they control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.
Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident.
We also indicate what we believe might be the outcome of these Members’ 2026 elections today. The overwhelming majority of House members were re-elected in 2023, and one of the two United States Senators is up for re-election this season.
Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:
Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.
It’s A Race - means this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.
Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Senator Kaine is included since he has a race in 2024. Stay tuned!
So, would you like to meet these fascinating Virginians? If so, keep reading on!
what is thomas looking for?
Here are the vulnerable races we are watching in Virginia for 2026:
VA02 - Jen Kiggans’ seat (Incumbent R - Nudging R)
VA07 - Eugene Vindman’s seat (Incumbent D - Nudging D)
the senators
Credit: US Senator Mark Warner
United States Senator Mark warner (d)
Virginia’s senior senator, Mark Warner, is a three-term member of the U.S. Senate, having last been re-elected in 2020. He serves on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee; Budget Committee; Finance Committee; Rules and Administration Committee; and is vice-chair on the Intelligence Committee. A former governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006, Warner is married with three children. He holds a law degree from Harvard University and an undergraduate degree from George Washington University.
Thomas Take: Up for Re-Election in 2026
Thomas Rank: A
Credit: US Senator Tim Kaine
United states senator tim kaine (D)
Virginia’s junior senator is serving his third term in the U.S. Senate. A former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia under now-senior U.S. Senator Mark Warner and former mayor of Richmond, Kaine was Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010 and the 2016 Democratic nominee for Vice President of the United States, running unsuccessfully with Hillary Clinton against Donald Trump. Kaine, who previously served as Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011, presently serves on the Armed Services Committee; Foreign Relations Committee; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee; and Budget Committee. Married with three children, Kaine earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri and his law degree from Harvard University.
Thomas Take: Not up for re-election in 2026
Thomas Rank: A
the representatives
Credit: US Rep. Robert Wittman
district 1 - u.s. rep. Robert Wittman (r)
Congressman Robert Wittman represents a district in the Richmond suburbs, including the Hampton Roads area. First elected in 2008, Wittman is serving his ninth term in Congress. The Congressman serves on the House Armed Services Committee; the Natural Resources Committee; and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech and holds a Master’s degree from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He earned his doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Wittman is married and has two children.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 2 - U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans (r)
Congresswoman Kiggans is serving her second term representing a district that stretches along the Virginia Beach area including the Eastern Shore. A former Navy helicopter pilot, Kiggans serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University, a BSN from Old Dominion University, and an MSN from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Kiggans is married and has four children.
Thomas Take: Nudging Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Jen Kiggans
Credit: US Rep. Bobby Scott
District 3 - U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott (d)
Representing the Newport News/Hampton/Chesapeake communities of Virginia, Congressman Bobby Scott is dean of the delegation, serving his seventeenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Scott is the ranking member on the Education and the Workforce Committee and serves on the Budget Committee. He holds a law degree from Boston College and his undergraduate degree from Harvard University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
District 4 - U.S. Rep. jennifer mcclellan (d)
Representing an area that stretches from Richmond to the North Carolina border, Representative Jennifer McClellan is serving her second term in the U.S. House. A former member of the Virginia Senate, McClellan is a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. Married with two children, Rep. McClellan holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond and a law degree from the University of Virginia.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Jennifer McClellan
Credit: US Rep. John McGuire
district 5 - U.S. rep. john mcguire (r)
In his freshman term, Congressman John McGuire represents the district in and around Thomas Jefferson’s old stomping grounds in Charlottesville stretching over to Lynchburg. He serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Married and the father of five, Congressman McGuire was a Navy SEAL during his early career.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
district 6 - U.S. rep. ben cline (r)
The sixth district runs through the Shenandoah Valley region. It includes the city of Roanoke, which is represented by Congressman Ben Cline, a four-term member of the U.S. House. Congressman Cline serves on the House Appropriations Committee; the Judiciary Committee; the Intelligence Committee; and the Budget Committee. His undergraduate degree is from Bates College, and he has a law degree from the University of Richmond. Representative Cline is married and the father of two.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
Credit: US Rep. Ben Cline
Credit: US Rep. Eugene Vindman
district 7 - U.s. Rep. eugene vindman (d)
U.S. Representative Eugene Vindman is a first-term member of Congress whose district runs from just outside the southeastern side of Washington to north of Fredericksburg over to Charlottesville to the south. A former National Security Advisor assistant, Vindman serves on the House Agriculture Committee and the Armed Services Committee. Married, father of two, and a former member of the United States Army, Vindman holds an undergraduate degree from Binghamton University, a graduate degree from Central Michigan University, a law degree from the University of Georgia, and an LLM degree.
Thomas Take: Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
district 8 - U.S. Rep. don beyer (d)
Now in his sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Don Beyer represents Northern Virginia, which comprises Alexandria, Falls Church, and the Arlington communities. A prominent local auto dealer and former Ambassador in the Obama Administration, he serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and the Joint Committee on Economics. A graduate of Williams College, Congressman Beyer is married and the father of four.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Don Beyer
Credit: US Rep. Morgan Griffith
district 9 - U.S. rep. morgan griffith (R)
Congressman Morgan Griffith represents a district that comprises the southwesternmost parts of Virginia. Now serving his eighth term in Congress, Representative Griffith serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, House Rules Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Married with three children, Griffith earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 10 - u.s. rep. suhas subtlamanyam (d)
The first-term member of Congress represents the district on the outer most regions of Northern Virginia around Loudoun County and Prince William County, including Manassas. The Congressman serves on the Space, Science, and Technology Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Married, and the father of two, Subtlamanyam is a former Obama Administration official and she holds both an undergraduate and law degree from Tulane University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: Too early to rank
Credit: US Rep. Suhas Subtlamanyam
Credit: US Rep. Gerry Connolly
district 11 - U.S. Rep. gerry connolly (D)
Congressman Gerry Connolly represents the Northern Virginia district that comprises Fairfax County. He is serving his ninth term in the U.S. House. Congressman Connolly serves on the Foreign Affairs Committee and is the ranking member on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from Maryknoll College and his MPA from Harvard University. Congressman Connolly is married and the father of one.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B