“I got into this race to defeat career politician Rob Wittman and take on a broken Washington. And that has not changed. Wittman has spent nearly two decades in Washington enriching himself while voting to raise costs and rip away health care. A court ruling does not erase that record. As Henrico Countuy’s top prosecutor, I have dedicated my career to keeping our community safe, and I know how to take on tough fights to win. That's exactly what we are going to do in November.”  (Press release after the VA Supreme Court decision invalidating a redistricting plan approved by the voters of Virginia and Governor Abigail Spanberger)

 

To hear directly from candidate Taylor, watch this short video:

Interview: Shannon Taylor talks VA-01 campaign

​​

​BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

​Taylor is a lifelong Virginian with a distinguished career as a prosecutor. She has a BA from the University of Virginia and graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law.  In 2011, she was the first woman elected as Henrico County Virginia Commonwealth attorney, a position she currently holds.  Taylor was the first Democrat in 24 years in that position.

 

As a prosecutor Taylor has tried thousands of cases with a 90% conviction rate for homicides. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, she was one of the first prosecutors in the nation to commit to defending abortion rights.

 

Taylor has shut down countless fraudsters trying to take advantage of working families and has incarcerated violent criminals. She pioneered programs to support victims of human trafficking, created a task force to tackle the opioid epidemic, and has removed illegal guns from the streets.

 

Taylor was the Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General in 2025 but lost to Republican Jay Jones. She is currently President of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth Attorneys.

​​​

ON THE ISSUES

​​Taylor’s priorities are detailed on her campaign website. They include:

​

• Lower costs and grow the economy

• Clean up crime and corruption

• Fight for quality, affordable healthcare

​​​

POLITICS IN VIRGINIA

Virginia is usually considered a “blue” state. This spring Virginia voters and Governor Spanberger approved the state legislature’s congressional redistricting plan favorable to Democrats which was subsequently thrown out by the State Supreme Court.

 

The trendlines bode well in this district. District 01 is one of the few seats that shifted to the left between the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections. Taylor is a high profile, accomplished candidate running in a favorable political environment.

 

Taylor’s opponent is Representative Rob Wittman, who won by 13 points in 2024 in a district Trump won by 5 points. Wittman is a strong Trump supporter who voted for the disastrous “Big Beautiful Bill.” The race is rated Lean R by the Cook Political report, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, and Inside Elections indicating that, while Wittman currently has the advantage, the race is considered competitive.

​