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Image for Shannon Taylor wins Democratic primary for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District

Shannon Taylor wins Democratic primary for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District

Flat Hat News · August 5, 2026

Tuesday, Aug. 4, Shannon Taylor, the commonwealth’s prosecutor for Henrico County, won the Democratic primary for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. She received 53.1% of the vote as of 9:45 p.m., with over 99% of votes counted.

Taylor faced several challengers, who positioned themselves to her left on issues of social welfare, immigration enforcement and the United States-Israel relationship. Salaam Bhatti, a public interest attorney, trailed with 19.7% of the vote, followed by Navy veteran Jason Knapp with 10% and Army veteran Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs with 7.1%.

Taylor’s campaign fundraising surpassed all other candidates in the race by a significant margin. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Taylor’s campaign raised $2,140,930 — around $1.6 million more than her closest competitor.

Taylor was supported by the Congressional Democrats’ campaign arm. She also scored endorsements from top Virginia Democrats — including Gov. Abigail Spanberger D.P.S ’26 and U.S. Sens. Ti…