Robert Wittman

Two candidates, Democrat Shannon Taylor and Republican Rob Wittman, are running to represent Virginia’s 1st Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In-person early voting begins Sept. 18 and runs through Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Here is how the candidates answered questions asked by The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

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Shannon Taylor

Age: 58

Employment: Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney

Education: Bachelor’s degree, international relations, University of Virginia; law degree, University of Richmond

Previous elected office: Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney

Website: shannontaylorva.com

What policies would you promote to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise and flooding?

The coastline of Virginia’s 1st Congressional District is vital to the economy and way of life of communities from the Northern Neck through the Middle Peninsula and along the Chesapeake Bay. Sea level rise destroys homes, threatens communities and disrupts local economies and livelihoods. First and foremost, we must invest in resilient infrastructure — homeowners and small businesses shouldn’t be stuck paying for rebuilding after every storm. We must fully fund FEMA’s flood mitigation grants. I would also work to fully fund dredging projects that keep our channels and inlets navigable and businesses safe. Waterways are already silting faster than they’re being maintained. There are plenty of projects like these we can invest in to protect our communities. The federal government should be helping communities prepare right now because failure to act will only become more and more costly.

Would you support moratoriums on new data center projects, legislation to demand tech companies pay their share of energy costs, utility rate reform or other consumer protections for customers whose bills are affected by data centers? Why or why not?

Not a single Virginian should pay a dime more for energy or water because of data centers. If they cannot meet that requirement, they shouldn’t be built, because we shouldn’t have to pay so monopoly utilities and big tech can profit. Rob Wittman has done nothing about our rising costs and he owns stock in the very companies building these data centers. Rob Wittman voted to give data center developers a multi-billion dollar tax break and even voted to bar states from enacting legislation to regulate data centers. He tried to take away our ability to protect our communities. That is a betrayal. Localities need to be able to make the determination whether a data center is a good fit. If a community does not want a data center, it must have the right to say no.

How would you improve affordability for Virginians?

We have got to bring down the cost of healthcare, utilities, housing and groceries and we must end the corruption in Washington that leads to policies that make everything more expensive. Throughout his nearly 20 years in Congress, Rob Wittman has made $2.5 million dollars worth of stock trades and become one of the wealthiest members of Congress. During that time, he has made life more expensive for Virginians with his votes while he and his corporate donors have personally benefited. That is corruption and we must end it. That is why I rolled out a first term agenda to clean up Washington. We must ban congressional stock trading, institute a lifetime ban on members of Congress becoming lobbyists, mandate jail time for politicians who misuse tax dollars and implement term limits. Even if Washington won’t act, I have promised to follow these rules myself. Washington has to work for regular Americans, not for itself. That is the only way we will be able to finally lower costs for hardworking Virginians. We should be able to trust that our elected officials make decisions with our interests in mind, not theirs — that’s what I’ve done my entire career and what I’ll do in Congress.

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Rob Wittman

Age: 67

Employment: U.S. Representative, Virginia’s 1st Congressional District

Education: Bachelor’s degree, biology, Virginia Tech; Master of Public Health, health policy and administration, University of North Carolina; Ph.D. public policy and administration, Virginia Commonwealth University

Previous elected office: Montross Town Council; mayor of Montross; Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors; Virginia House of Delegates; U.S. House of Representatives

Website: robwittman.com

What policies would you promote to mitigate the impacts of sea level rise and flooding?

Coastal Virginia needs practical, science-based solutions that help communities address flooding and become more resilient. In 2026, I secured $1.6 million for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to improve forecasting of sea-level rise, shoreline erosion, storm surge, flooding and other coastal risks. I have also introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen research into flooding, water supply, and other regional water challenges. I also worked to establish a regional coordinator at the Department of War to address sea level rise and recurrent flooding. We should invest in resilient infrastructure, shoreline protection, nature-based solutions and better stormwater management while continuing to reduce pollution and restore the Chesapeake Bay. We must improve coordination among all levels of government and direct resources toward solutions that produce measurable results.

Would you support moratoriums on new data center projects, legislation to demand tech companies pay their share of energy costs, utility rate reform or other consumer protections for customers whose bills are affected by data centers? Why or why not?

Data centers are increasingly important to our economy, national security, and the technologies we use every day. But those benefits cannot come at the expense of Virginia families or our local communities. As data centers place greater demands on our electric grid, they should pay their fair share of the infrastructure necessary to serve them. Families and small businesses should not be left to bear the cost of new power generation and grid upgrades built primarily to accommodate these massive new energy demands. That is why I am a cosponsor of the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act, which would help ensure those costs are borne by large energy users rather than shifted onto ratepayers. We must also take seriously the impact of data center development on water resources, land use, and the environment. Data centers should pay their own way and surrounding communities must be protected.

How would you improve affordability for Virginians?

Affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing Virginia families. My focus is on helping people keep more of what they earn while lowering the major costs they face every month. I supported legislation that prevented the largest tax increase in American history and expanded relief through the standard deduction, Child Tax Credit, and additional tax relief for seniors. I have also worked to lower health care and prescription-drug costs through price transparency, pharmacy benefit manager reform, and greater competition, and I voted to extend enhanced ACA premium tax credits when families faced sharply higher premiums. I am also fighting to ensure energy costs for families don’t rise due to increased demand from data centers, make housing more affordable by increasing supply and cutting unnecessary barriers that drive up costs, and expand practical child care options for working parents, including those who work nights, weekends, and other nontraditional schedules.