[UPDATED 4/13] Now That the Filing Deadline Has Passed, Here Are ALL the 2022 Dem, GOP Candidates for Congress in Virginia

Now that the filing deadline has passed for Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. House of Representatives, here’s a one-stop-shopping quick look at ALL the Democrats and Republicans running in VA01 through VA11. Enjoy!

VA01

• FiveThirtyEight rating: R+14
• Democratic candidate(s): Herb Jones (“Herb began his career in government service as a second lieutenant in the 24th Infantry Division…Herb ran to be the County Treasurer for New Kent in 1999 and served three terms. At the same time, he remained in the US Army Reserves. He was called up twice after 9/11 and served here in Virginia and two tours in Iraq. In 2011, Herb decided not run for a fourth term and took a position with the federal government as a operations officer in Afghanistan 2012. He served in that capacity until November 2014. Herb retired in 2012 as the rank of full colonel.”)
• Republican incumbent: Rep. Rob Wittman (For more on Wittman, see Virginia’s Four Republican Members of Congress All Get “F/Very Poor” Ratings On New “GOP Democracy Report Card”, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01) Wildly Lies, Claims he Spent “Months…Calling for Unity”; Qasim Rashid Responds “Your hypocrisy is only surpassed by your ability to lie. Shameful.”, After Signing Amicus Brief in Support of Seditionist TX Lawsuit, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01) Gets Ripped on His FB Page For Laughably Claiming He “Defended Our Constitution”, etc.)
• Republican challenger(s): None

VA02

• FiveThirtyEight rating: R+6
• Democratic incumbent/nominee: Rep. Elaine Luria (Former Navy Commander; first elected to the US House in 2018, reelected in 2020. Rep. Luria is a leader in Congress on national security issues, also serves on the 1/6 Select Committee, doing extremely important work. The bottom line is that this is a crucial race for Democrats in November 2022, and we need to do everything we can to help reelect Rep. Luria!)
• Democratic challenger(s): None
• Republican candidates: Tommy Altman (“…running as a conservative Republican for Congress in the 2nd district of Virginia…a disabled veteran of the United States Air Force Special Operations community, with combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq”; “totally opposed to abortion”; “the 2nd Amendment is a God-given right”; “Critical Theory, Social Justice, radical leftism, the Cult of Woke. Whatever it’s called, it poisons people against each other”); Andy Baan (“an Iraq War veteran, earning a Bronze Star…currently a cybersecurity consultant…has an extensive foreign policy background, having been to 39 countries, living in six of those, and working in four”; “I believe that life begins at conception”; “I am a proud supporter of our 2^nd Amendment rights”); Jarome Bell (“a fearless patriot and a leader of the America First Movement”; “We must audit all 50 states from the 2020 election, and find out exactly what happened on Nov. 3, 2020”; “It’s long past time to stop the illegal alien invasion at our southern border”; “I will work to defund Planned Parenthood entirely and fight to restrict abortion at every opportunity”; “Gun Control in Virginia by our BlackFace governor won’t just mean eventual enslaving of blacks, but also for whites who don’t bow down to government as well”); Jen Kiggans (“a State Senator, geriatric nurse practitioner, U.S. Navy veteran, mother, Navy wife”; ” a fierce champion for the unborn and a lifelong defender of our pro-life values”; “a staunch defender of the Second Amendment who will never compromise our right to bear arms”; “stands against policies that divide our children and will stand up to Democrats who want to keep our students out of the classroom or force our children to learn Critical Race Theory that segregates students into groups based on race and skin color, making unity impossible”)

VA03

• FiveThirtyEight rating: D+32
• Democratic incumbent: Rep. Bobby Scott (Has represented the district since 1993 and is considered the “dean” of Virginia’s congressional delegation. Rep. Scott chairs the House Committee on Education and Labor.)
• Democratic challenger(s): Luis Rivera [UPDATE 4/13: It appears that Rivera didn’t make the ballot, meaning that Rep. Scott is the nominee.] (Says he’d be  the “Youngest Congressman in Office and the first candidate from Generation Z to obtain a Congressional seat”; running on a platform of “universal healthcare,” “education reform,” “term limits,” “higher teacher pay,” and “ensur[ing] that the government does not interfere with the decentralization of crypto”) [UPDATE: I’m told that Rivera never filed with the Dem CD chair…]
• Republican candidates: Madison Downs (“Husband, Father, U.S. Marine & U.S. Army Veteran, Counselor, Professor & Teacher, Constitutionalist”); Ted Engquist (“Born and raised the son of a minister, conservative values were ingrained into me and became a part of who I am”; “firmly believe that life begins at conception and every child, born, unborn, or preborn, has the right to live.”; “If a person chooses to live an alternative lifestyle, that is their choice; however, marriage is an institution created by God that is a union between a man and a woman”; “will advocate to close our borders and build that wall”), Terry Namkung (served in the Air Force, “retired as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer”; ” We cannot allow the Cancel Culture or Big Tech to run this country”; “The Second Amendment underwrites the rest”; “all life is sacred. I am pro-life.”)

VA04

• FiveThirtyEight rating: D+30
• Democratic incumbent/nominee: Rep. Donald McEachin (Has represented the district since 2017; formerly served in the Virginia State Senate and House of Delegates.)
• Democratic challenger(s): None
• Republican candidates: Leon Benjamin (“veteran of the US Navy (1986-1994), and Senior Pastor of New Life Harvest Church”; running on “election integrity,” “parental choice,” fighting “tyrannical overreach”); Mike Dickinson (“Richmond Native Republican,” “proud small business owner”; running “to help our great police versus the Antifa and BLM criminals”)

VA05 

• FiveThirtyEight rating: R+14
• Democratic candidate(s): Warren McLellan [UPDATE 4/13: McLellan did not make the ballot.] (“has spent most of his career in agriculture and land management”; “a centrist Democrat who believes in fiscal responsibility” UPDATE: McClellan apparently dropped out); Andy Parker [UPDATE 4/13: Parker apparently failed to gather sufficient signatures to make the ballot. He reportedly is now weighing “legal options”] (“In 2015, Parker’s daughter, journalist Alison Parker, was shot and killed on live television by a mentally ill co-worker.. He channeled his grief into action, becoming a global advocate for common-sense gun legislation and took on Facebook and YouTube when they refused to remove the videos of Alison’s murder from their platforms…I’m running for Congress to limit the influence of giant tech companies and billionaires…To make the internet safer for kids and families and make the economy fairer for everyone.”); Josh Throneburg [UPDATED 4/13: Throneburg put out a statement last night, which said, “Patricia Harper-Tunley, Democratic Party of Virginia Committee Chair for the Fifth Congressional District, confirmed this evening that Josh Throneburg is the district’s Democratic nominee.  Harper-Tunley submitted Throneburg’s nomination at 2:47 p.m. to the Virginia Department of Elections. Democratic Party of Virginia bylaws dictate that the party will bypass a Primary Election that was previously scheduled for June 21st. Throneburg will challenge first-term Congressman Bob Good (R-Lynchburg) in the newly redrawn Fifth District in November’s General Election.”] (“an ordained minister, small-business owner”; “Our planet is in crisis and there’s no guarantee that it will remain habitable. Our national debt is spiraling out of control and there’s no plan to address it. Communities of color suffer under systemic racism while rural communities remain long neglected. Democracy, the beating heart of this incredible nation, is under attack.”)
• Republican incumbent: Rep. Bob Good (One of the most extreme members of Congress; for more on this guy, see “I can tell everything I need to know about Bob Good in this one photo”, 63 Republicans, Including Two From Virginia (Bob Good and Ben Cline) Vote Against Rep. Gerry Connolly’s Resolution in Support of NATO, Democracy, After Unhinged Extremist Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05) “Blasts all colleges except Christian ones,” “urges high school students to rebel against required mask wearing,” Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Says “I might need to re-engage”, etc.)
• Republican challenger(s): Dan Moy (“Dan holds a doctoral degree in history from the University of Oklahoma. He is a graduate of the Joint Forces Staff College, the West Point Seminar in Military History, and the George C. Marshall Center’s “Leaders for the 21st Century” international security studies program. Dan also currently serves as an Adjunct Professor for the University of Virginia’s Batten School of Public Policy…retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2016 with 27- years’ operations and policy experience”; “will passionately work to protect life from conception, defund Planned Parenthood, and promote adoption”; “The most essential right that protects all others is our 2nd Amendment guarantees”; “I was a proud supporter of Gov. Youngkin, and led his Veteran’s Coalition for our region, and will work closely with him to ensure his four year agenda for Virginia is supported from my office in DC.”)

VA06

• FiveThirtyEight rating: R+28
• Democratic candidate(s): Jennifer Lewis [UPDATE: Based on this Twitter thread, Lewis was 600 signatures short of making the ballot. Lewis tweeted, “Correct, many candidates are short during covid. We are hoping for the process used for Betts and Degner nominations in previous years when there has been no primary.” Also, Lewis’ campaign told me they are “going through a back up nomination process with our CD,” and that they’re still out campaigning.] (“a mental health worker, community advocate, and was a leader in the fight against the Atlantic Coast Pipeline”; was the Democratic nominee for VA06 in 2018; believes “Healthcare is a human right”; ” Our priorities should be removing our dependency on fossil fuels and moving towards a clean energy future”; “supports non-discrimination protections to the LGBTQIA+ community”; etc.)  
• Republican incumbent: Rep. Ben Cline (For more on this right wingnut, see Seditionist Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA06) Was Perfectly Fine with Trump’s 1000s of Personal Attacks and Assault on Our Democracy, Now Suddenly Claims to Be Outraged at Biden’s Nominee For OMB Director; 63 Republicans, Including Two From Virginia (Bob Good and Ben Cline) Vote Against Rep. Gerry Connolly’s Resolution in Support of NATO, Democracy; Video: In Cringe-Inducingly Bad Speech at Extremist CPAC Conference, Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA06) Claims Virginia Was One of “Original States Fighting the Original Cancel Culture” Against Thomas Jefferson, etc.; etc.)
• Republican challenger(s): Merritt Hale (“a Christian, common sense, conservative, who has lived my entire life in Virginia, outside of a few years in my military service. I attended the University of Virginia where I studied systems engineering while enrolled in Naval ROTC. Upon graduation, I commissioned as a United States Naval Officer and was stationed in Charleston, SC and Virginia Beach, VA”; “100% pro-life except when the mother’s life is at risk”; “will defend the 2nd Amendment against all incursions”)

VA07

• FiveThirtyEight rating: D+2
• Democratic incumbent: Rep. Abigail Spanberger (Former CIA officer, first elected to the US House in 2018. This is a key race for Democrats in 2022; let’s make sure we reelect Rep. Spanberger!)
• Democratic challenger(s): None
• Republican candidates: Gary Adkins, Derrick Anderson, Gina Ciarcia, Michael Monteforte, Bryce Reeves, David Ross, Crystal Vanuch and Yesli Vega.
• For a full, detailed profile of the candidates in this district, see here.

VA08

• FiveThirtyEight rating: D+50
• Democratic nominee: Rep. Don Beyer (Has represented the district since 2015; “chairs Congress’s Joint Economic Committee, and serves on the essential House Committee on Ways and Means.  He also sits on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, where he chairs the Space Subcommittee. He is a member of the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and founded the Congressional Fusion Caucus.”)
• Democratic challenger(s): Victoria Virasingh (“My mom grew up in Ecuador and my dad was born to Punjabi Sikh refugees in Thailand. They both came to America in hopes of a better life — but every day was a struggle, a fight.”; running on priorities such as “Housing for all,” “Equity in education,” Securing a living wage,” Medicare for all”)
• Republican candidates: Monica Carpio (“has worked in the Federal Department of Labor 8 years as well as the U.S. Department of Commerce for 4 years”;  wants to “put a STOP to the Congress’ outrageous spending that results in MASSIVE INCREASES to the Federal debt”), Jeff Jordan (had a “27-year military career that took him around the world, and distinctly shaped who he is today”; “works as a contractor for the Department of Defense”; “will work to permanently remove CRT and all associated rubrics, methods, and theories from our education system”; “will reinvigorate the free enterprise system and reinstate the economic foundation that allows for the standard of living we desperately need”; Heerak Christian Kim (“Heerak is a licensed teacher who taught public schools at the elementary and secondary levels in Virginia and Washington, DC.”; “Heerak is a Registered Nurse (RN) in Virginia and in Washington, DC, who works to save patient lives and cares about healthcare equity and access.”); Karina Lipsman (“arrived in this country as a refugee from Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union with my single mother and grandparents”; “After graduation, I joined the world of national defense and earned a Master’s degree in engineering from Johns Hopkins while working full-time. I spent over a decade in this industry proudly serving my country”; ” will advocate for common-sense policies that fight crime, reduce inflation, ease transportation and improve our educational standards.”); Kezia Tunnell (“Raised a Baptist Missions pastor’s daughter, Kezia grew up in different cultures…In 2011, she co-founded Tunnell Enterprises. Tunnell Enterprises is a debt-free company that operates throughout the United States, specializing in large commercial builds and remodels.”; running on “Securing our borders to keep Americans and Immigrants safe from human trafficking and cartels”; “Advocating for pro-life causes that include foster care and prison reform, human-trafficking awareness, elderly care, and other advocacy that protects and cultivates human life and equal opportunity”; etc.)

VA09

• FiveThirtyEight rating: R+46
• Democratic candidates: Taysha DeVaughan [UPDATE 4/13: It appears that DeVaughan didn’t gather sufficient signatures, and that VA09 will now have a party-run process to select a nominee.] (“Soon after graduating from UVA-Wise in 2018 with a BA in Communications, Taysha began her career at the Appalachian Community Fund as a Regional Organizer and was quickly promoted to her current position as the Donor Engagement Coordinator. She has been an active member of her community since making Virginia her home. She is the President of Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, is active in Lonesome Pine Mutual Aid and is a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Council on Environmental Justice.”; “My campaign is going to focus on restoring clean, healthy and thriving communities in Virginia’s 9th district by addressing concerns around the Environment, Energy, and Economic Development.” To put it mildly, DeVaughan would represent a MASSIVE improvement over the horrendously bad incumbent, right-wing Republican Morgan Griffith)
• Republican incumbent: Rep. Morgan Griffith (Formerly served in the Virginia House of Delegates; elected to the US House in November 2010, although weirdly, on his website is incorrectly says “In 2011, he defeated a 28-year Democratic incumbent.” For more information on this right winger, Trumpist, fossil fuel industry tool, climate science denier, etc, see Appalachian Women of Action Demand Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA09) Step Down Following the 1/6 U.S. Capitol Riot; For Signing on to Seditionist TX Lawsuit, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA09) Rightly Ripped on His FB Page as “TRAITOR. COWARD. DOUCHEBAG”; “Spineless Jellyfish,” a “Disgrace to the Office,” etc.)
• Republican challenger(s): Kimberly Lowe (“A 6th generation Southwest Virginian who is already getting the work done”; “will protect your rights from religious freedom to medical freedom to parental rights to any and all Constitutional rights such as 2A rights. The government belongs to the people, not the other way around.”; “The media and BIG TECH have to be brought in check.”; “Election Integrity must be must be maintained and preserved from the bottom to the top.”; etc.)

VA10

• FiveThirtyEight rating: D+8
• Democratic nominee: Rep. Jennifer Wexton (Has represented the district since 2019, after defeating Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock; reelected in 2020. Is doing an excellent job in Congress and should most definitely be reelected in November.)
• Democratic challenger(s): Shadi Ayyas [UPDATE 4/13: It appears that Ayyas didn’t make the ballot, which means that Rep. Wexton is the nominee.] (“was born in Lebanon during our Civil War”; “Dr. Ayyas is an active associate member of the American Medical Association, a lifetime associate member with The American Health Council, and member of the America College of Physicians.”; “The bottom line is people need affordable quality health care. Virginians want a better deal. Premiums that are affordable. We must fix health care and ensure there are no cuts to Medicare.”)
• Republican candidates:  John Beatty, Dave Beckwith, Hung Cao, Mike Clancy, Theresa Coates Ellis, John Henley, Jeanine Lawson, Paul Kinney Lott, Sr., Caleb Max, Brandon Michon, Brooke Taylor.
• For a full, detailed profile of the candidates in this district, see here.

VA11

• FiveThirtyEight rating: D+33
• Democratic nominee: Rep. Gerry Connolly (Former Fairfax County Chair, has represented this district since 2009; Serves as Chairman of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly )
• Democratic challenger(s): Ally Dalsimer [UPDATE 4/13 – Dalsimer reportedly didn’t make the ballot, which means that Rep. Connolly is the Democratic nominee.] (managed the Natural Resources Program at the Department of Defense; “running for Congress to make a difference by representing the American people, not corporate interests”; supports a Green New Deal, “invest[ing] in diplomacy over violence,” etc.)
• Republican candidates: [UPDATE 5/10: Myles won the “firehouse primary”] Manga Anantatmula (“first-generation immigrant from India,” “mother and a wife that believes it is our civic duty to keep our political house in order”); Joe Babb (“retired 20-year diplomat with the U.S. Department of State”; running on “civility and political discourse”; “reject[ing] baseless conspiracy theories in all their forms”; “outreach to Democrats”); Matthew Chappell (“After serving eight years in the US Army, I began working as a Counterintelligence contractor where I served three years in Afghanistan with Joint Special Operations Command and Special Operations Task Force”; “will always stand by our second amendment and will always support our rights to bear arms including women’s rights to bear arms”; “will stand up against divisive ideologies, such as Critical Race Theory, that perpetuate racism in our society”); Jim Myles (“recently retired from my public service as a Federal United States Administrative Law Judge”; “pro-life, a member of the NRA, and a supporter of the second amendment”; “conservative and believe in free markets, small government, faith, family, assuming personal responsibility with a shared duty for the care of those in need”)