Virginia: who should earn your vote for Congress in 2026

Opinion · The paper’s scorecard

Virginia: every race for Congress on the 3 November 2026 ballot, and how the candidates measure up against our standards.

Sitting and former members are scored on the same key votes, read from the official House and Senate roll calls; each vote links to the record. Candidates who have never served in Congress have no votes to score, and outside the battlegrounds we have not researched them, so they are marked as not scored. Where only one candidate could be measured, the mark rates that record on its own; it is not a verdict on the opponent. How the marks work · All states

U.S. Senate D+3

No mark

Bert Mizusawa

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Mark Warner

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 23 key votes · total -2

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (12)

Voted against the June 2026 bill adding about $70 billion for immigration enforcement. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada (April 2025). Source

Against us (11)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Source
Voted for the Inflation Reduction Act. Source

District 1 R+3

Leans our way: Rob Wittman

Shannon Taylor

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

Leans our way

Rob Wittman

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 26 key votes · total +1

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (16)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (10)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

District 2 EVEN

Closer to our standards: Jen Kiggans

Closer to our standards

Jen Kiggans

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 21 key votes · total +3

✓Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (11)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (10)

Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source
Voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source
Voted against the amendment requiring a warrant to search Americans' communications under FISA Section 702 (it failed 212-212). Source

Elaine Luria

Democrat

Scored on 6 key votes · total +2

?Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
?Light touch on tech
?Free speech
?No surveillance state
?Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
?Hard on violent crime

With us (3)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted against the objection to counting Arizona's 2020 electoral votes. Source

Against us (3)

Voted for the 2022 assault-weapons ban. Source
Voted for the 2022 Protecting Our Kids Act, which raised the purchase age for semiautomatic rifles to 21 and limited magazine size. Source
Voted for the 2022 gun law that funded state red-flag programs and added checks on buyers under 21. Source

District 3 D+18

No mark

Edwin Rivera

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Bobby Scott

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total -1

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
~Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (12)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source

Against us (15)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

District 4 D+17

No mark

Jennifer McClellan

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 19 key votes · total -4

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
~Free speech
~No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (7)

Voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source
Voted for the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, barring agencies from buying Americans' data without a warrant. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source

Against us (12)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Robert Murray

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 5 R+6

Leans our way: John McGuire

Leans our way

John McGuire

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total +1

✓Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
✗Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted for the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

Against us (5)

Voted for a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted against ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source
Voted against the September 2026 resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran. Source

Tom Perriello

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 6 R+12

✓ Meets our standards: Ben Cline

Meets our standards

Ben Cline

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +2

✓Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (17)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (10)

Voted against the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source

Beth Macy

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 7 D+2

✓ Meets our standards: Eugene Vindman

Doug Ollivant

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Meets our standards

Eugene Vindman

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total +3

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (8)

Voted for the CLARITY Act, a light-touch rulebook for digital assets. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source

Against us (3)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

District 8 D+26

No mark

Don Beyer

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 26 key votes · total -2

✗Smaller government
~Small business over giants
✓Live and let live
✗Light touch on tech
~Free speech
✗No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
✗Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (9)

Voted for the 2022 antitrust package funding merger enforcement with fees on the largest deals. Source
Voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source

Against us (17)

Voted against the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Tony Sabio

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 9 R+22

✓ Meets our standards: Morgan Griffith

Meets our standards

Morgan Griffith

Republican · incumbent

Scored on 27 key votes · total +3

✓Smaller government
✓Small business over giants
✗Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
✗Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✗Home first, open trade
~Checks on power
✓Right to bear arms
✓Hard on violent crime

With us (18)

Voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act tying the 2023 debt-limit increase to spending cuts. Source
Voted for the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted for a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source

Against us (9)

Voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. Source
Voted for the 2024 law forcing TikTok's sale or ban. Source
Voted for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which civil-liberties groups opposed as a limit on campus speech. Source

Joy Powers

Democrat

No congressional voting record; not scored

District 10 D+6

Leans our way: Suhas Subramanyam

Dave Beckwith

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

Leans our way

Suhas Subramanyam

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 11 key votes · total +1

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
✓Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (6)

Voted for the CLARITY Act, a light-touch rulebook for digital assets. Source
Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source

Against us (5)

Voted against the 2025 package cancelling about $9 billion in approved spending. Source
Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source

District 11 D+18

No mark

Arthur Purves

Republican

No congressional voting record; not scored

James Walkinshaw

Democrat · incumbent

Scored on 9 key votes · total +0

✗Smaller government
✗Small business over giants
?Live and let live
?Light touch on tech
?Free speech
✓No surveillance state
✓Home first, open trade
✓Checks on power
?Right to bear arms
✗Hard on violent crime

With us (5)

Voted against a further clean extension of FISA surveillance authorities in 2026. Source
Voted for ending the emergency behind the tariffs on Canada. Source
Voted for the September 2026 resolution directing U.S. forces out of hostilities with Iran. Source

Against us (4)

Voted against a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Source
Voted against the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act. Source
Voted against the bill requiring pretrial detention, with no release on bail, for people charged with violent crimes in the District of Columbia. Source

Photo credits. Official congressional portraits are works of the U.S. government and in the public domain. Others:

James Walkinshaw: U.S House Office of Photography, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (file)