See below for a statement from Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, who has been running for the Democratic nomination in VA01, but now is announcing a change of plans given the redistricting amendment/new map. For more information on the newly drawn VA05 (D+8.7 points), see State Navigate (and also a screenshot, below; compare to the current VA05 here). We’ll see how the new district maps scramble the field for VA01, VA05, etc.
Henrico Prosecutor Shannon Taylor’s Statement on Proposed 2026 Congressional Map
Taylor has backing of Gov. Spanberger in both the existing 1st District and in the newly proposed 5th District if voters choose new map, clearing path to nomination;
Campaign has nearly $500K cash on hand after raising more than $860K in just five months
HENRICO, VA — Today, Shannon Taylor, Henrico County’s top prosecutor and current Democratic candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 1st District, announced her intention to run for Congress in Virginia’s newly proposed 5th Congressional District upon passage of new maps. Taylor – who has the endorsement of Governor Abigail Spanberger – is running to put Virginia families first, lower costs, and hold Washington accountable.
“I’m running for Congress to protect Virginians from the pain that is being unleashed by a broken Washington – skyrocketing health care costs, inflation, and a government that caters to special interests at the expense of working people,” said Taylor. “As a prosecutor, I’ve spent my career holding people accountable and keeping my community safe. That mission remains the same. Whether it is under the current 1st district lines or newly proposed 5th district lines, I will never stop fighting to lower everyday costs for working families and defend the community I love and have sworn to protect.”
In addition to Governor Spanberger, Taylor has earned the endorsement of the U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, former Governor Terry McAuliffe, former Governor Ralph Northam, Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA-07), Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08), Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10) and Rep. James Walkinshaw (VA-11).
Taylor’s campaign has raised more than $860,000 since she announced her bid in September. Her fundraising strength underscores broad support for Taylor’s message rooted in taking on corruption and lowering costs for Virginia families — and demonstrates that her campaign has the resources needed to flip a critical House seat come November.
Both non-partisan elections race raters Cook Political Report and Inside Elections recently shifted their ratings in Taylor’s direction, specifically citing the strength of her candidacy.
About Shannon
Shannon Taylor is a battle-tested prosecutor with 25 years of experience and a 90% conviction rate in homicide cases, taking on the toughest threats to Virginia families and delivering justice. A native of Charlottesville and graduate of the University of Virginia and the University of Richmond Law School, she began her career as a prosecutor in Richmond before serving as a Special Assistant in the U.S. Attorney’s office. In 2011, she flipped the Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office from Republican to Democrat, becoming the first woman elected to the role. She has since been re-elected three times, proving she knows how to win tough races.
As Commonwealth’s Attorney, Taylor has pioneered programs to support victims of human trafficking, created a task force to tackle the opioid epidemic, and led prosecutors statewide in pledging not to criminalize women or doctors for abortion care. She has worked alongside law enforcement to keep families safe, fought fraud that harms working people, and partnered with gun safety advocates to take illegal guns off the streets.
Shannon Taylor has built her career on protecting Virginians and delivering justice for families regardless of their politics.
For more on Shannon Taylor’s campaign, visit ShannonTaylorVA.com.
