1st District Candidate Shannon Taylor (D)
Campaign website:
https://shannontaylorva.com/
Candidate Questionnaire from VPM:
Where in Virginia do you live?
I live in Henrico, where I have been for the past 30 years.
What is your current job? How would you describe your career?
I have been the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Henrico since I was first elected in 2011.
List any college degrees or professional certifications you hold.
BA from University of Virginia, JD from University of Richmond Law School
Have you served in an elected or appointed political office before? When, where and in what position?
I have been the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Henrico County for the last 14 years. I was first elected in 2011, and I am serving my fourth term.
Please describe any ways you’ve used generative artificial intelligence in your campaign.
We are not using generative artificial intelligence.
What should constituents know about you?
I've spent the past 14 years as Henrico County's top prosecutor, protecting families. I've never backed down from a fight — I've locked up violent criminals, taken on fraudsters and scammers, made Henrico a statewide leader in prosecuting sex traffickers, and delivered justice with a 90% homicide conviction rate.
I've overseen an 86% drop in Henrico's murder rate over the past year. I’ve taken on the powerful and corrupt — no matter what political party — to do what’s right for Virginia.
Now I'm running for Congress in Virginia's 1st District to take on the corruption from both parties that's jacking up our costs and hurting families. Congressman Wittman has spent nearly 20 years enriching himself at our expense, taking advantage of a corrupt system in Washington that serves politicians and special interests while raising costs on our families.
I will fight to lower costs, clean up Washington's culture of corruption, and make Congress serve the people first.
In a word or phrase, tell us: What do you think your race is about?
The cost of Washington corruption
How should the federal government address the ongoing affordability challenges?
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. Two of my major concerns are the rising cost of healthcare and the impacts of tariffs and the cost of foreign wars on this district.
I will fight to restore the Affordable Care Act, to ensure that healthcare is affordable and accessible, especially in the rural parts of this district. We need to lower the cost of prescription drugs, make medical billing transparent, and restore funding to rural hospitals and clinics. I will also fight against these tariffs and foreign wars that are raising costs across the district and hurting our farmers.
Time and time again, Rob Wittman has failed to protect this district from rising costs, and it’s time he be held accountable.
What is one topic you think the current Congress has failed to address, and why?
In order to address the affordability crisis that families across the district are dealing with, we must address the political corruption that leads to the bad policies that harm us. Throughout his nearly 20 years in Congress, Rob Wittman has made $2.5 million 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.
What kinds of proposals should Congress consider as data centers become more common nationwide?
No 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. We need a representative who will hold them accountable – Rob Wittman won't do anything about it or our rising costs, because he owns stock in the very companies building these data centers.
Data centers and tech companies must fully cover their own operational and infrastructure costs including water, electricity, and the construction of new transmission lines. Residents should not be subsidizing private data center development. These companies must also fund landscaping and noise-mitigation buffers to protect local communities from noise pollution. Within these restrictions, 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.
Where do you stand on abortion, and do you believe there’s a role for federal legislation in regulating abortion?
I stand firmly with a woman’s right to make choices about her own body. When Roe was overturned, I was one of the first elected prosecutors across the country to say that I would never prosecute a woman for choosing to have an abortion. Politicians should not pass legislation that endangers women’s health and access to medical care. Those conversations should remain firmly between patients and providers.
What is your stance on the United States’ foreign policy with Iran?
Rob Wittman has allowed us to stumble into a directionless war that is costing American lives, billions of dollars, and driving up costs. Politicians like Rob Wittman have allowed this war to continue despite the fact that it has overextended our military and caused prices to skyrocket. We must end this war.
What is your stance on the use of Flock or other automatic license plate readers in your district?
As a prosecutor, my top priority has been to keep my community safe. I have seen firsthand how this type of technology has helped detectives and other members of law enforcement solve the most heinous crimes and deliver justice. However, there must be guardrails put on the use of surveillance technology. Whether it is independent audits or usage regulation, there are ways to maintain the public safety benefits of Flock cameras while ensuring that privacy is protected.
What is the largest issue facing your district right now, and how would you work to address it from Washington, DC?
No one should have to choose between paying rent, putting food on the table, or filling a prescription they need — and yet that is exactly the reality Congressman Rob Wittman and his fellow career politicians in Washington have created for us. As Henrico's top prosecutor, I've dedicated my life to protecting my community. As an 18-year congressman, Rob Wittman has spent his time padding his own pockets—his net worth soaring from $200,000 to $8.1 million—while costs rise for the rest of us.
In my first term, I will fight to end the corruption in Washington, just as I fought crime here in our district, by passing real ethics reform, like a ban on congressional stock trading, term limits, and a lifetime ban on members of Congress lobbying the federal government. And I am rejecting contributions from corporate PACs, so there is no doubt about who I am fighting for when I am in Washington.
A hospital or multiple health care centers in your district are at risk of service cuts/closure due to Medicaid changes. How would you advocate for your district’s health and wellness?
As a direct result of Rob Wittman's votes, Rappahannock General is at risk of closing. This would be a disaster for the communities that rely on the hospital for care, who would then be forced to drive close to an hour for access to a hospital. That is far too long when someone is having a medical emergency. Rural health care centers aren't the only ones in danger of closing — we are already seeing hospitals and clinics dropping services, already forcing people to travel farther for the care they need. Rob Wittman has caused this crisis, having voted for the largest Medicaid cuts in history.
I will fight to restore the Affordable Care Act to ensure that rural hospitals and clinics get the funding they need. I will fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs, make medical billing transparent, and oppose the privatization of Medicare and Medicaid. Health care must be affordable and accessible for all Virginians.
Where do you stand on the pending Dominion Energy–NextEra merger?
I am against the Dominion Energy-NextEra merger. Handing control of Virginia’s power to out-of-state interests and creating the largest utility monopoly in the country is not the answer at a time of rising energy costs.
How confident are you that the 2026 Virginia midterm elections will be free and fair?
I have full faith in Virginia's election administrators to run a fair and accurate process.