With Virginia Early Voting Underway for the 8/4 Primaries, Here Are the VA01 Democratic Candidates Vying to Take on Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01) This Fall

With early voting underway for the August 4 primaries in Virginia, the most competitive Democratic primary for U.S. House appears to be in VA01, where the godawful Rep. Rob Wittman has badly misrepresented the district since 2007…nearly 20 years of his ineptitude, idiocy, etc.  So now, with a “blue wave” apparently building for November, and with Abigail Spanberger having narrowly won VA01 last November (Trump won VA01 by 5 points in November 2024), Wittman faces what appears to be the most serious threat to his job security in his entire career. Given that, it’s not surprising that a bunch of Democratic candidates are practically salivating at the prospect of becoming the nominee to take on Wittman this fall. Who are these candidates?  See below for links to their websites, a brief bio on each, their fundraising totals as of the last report (through the end of March 2026), their endorsements, and their Ballotpedia responses. Hopefully, this information is helpful when considering who to support! (Note: I’m neutral in this race, other than wanting to have the best/strongest Democratic nominee to take it to Rob Wittman this fall!)

P.S. Also check out Rob’s Record and Wittman Watch to help understand why Wittman has got to be replaced by a Democrat this November!

Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs:

• Describes herself as “a mother, a firefighter’s wife, a veteran, and an advocate. But above all—someone who has never chosen the easy path”; “At 17, that path led me to the U.S. Army, where I later Commissioned as a Tank Commander”; “Running for office isn’t about a title. It’s about service. It’s about fighting.”
• Had $4,230 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26.
• I don’t see any endorsements listed on her website or Facebook page; happy to add if I missed any.
• From Ballotpedia (“Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?“): “I’m running to put service back at the center of leadership. As an Army officer, I learned you don’t choose who you serve—you show up for everyone. That’s the mindset I’ll bring to Congress. I will work for all Virginians, not political parties or special interests. Families deserve leaders who listen, lead with integrity, and focus on real solutions, not partisan drama. My priority is rebuilding trust in government by serving with humility, accountability, and a commitment to the people of VA-01.” “Families across Virginia are being pushed to the breaking point by rising costs of housing, groceries, childcare, healthcare, and everyday essentials. As a New Deal Democrat, I believe we must build an economy that works for working families—not just corporations and billionaires. That means lowering costs, raising wages, expanding childcare, reducing prescription drug prices, and ensuring the wealthiest pay their fair share. Every Virginian deserves stability, opportunity, and a fair shot at building a better future.” “I will fight to protect personal freedoms—including reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ equality—because government should never interfere in private medical decisions or adult relationships. As a gun owner and the daughter of a retired police officer and criminal justice professor, I believe in safe, fair, and community-focused public safety. That includes common-sense gun laws, criminal justice reform, supporting law enforcement training, investing in mental health and addiction treatment, and addressing the root causes of crime. Safer communities come from opportunity, fairness, and accountability—not fear.”
• From Ballotpedia (“What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?“): “I am passionate about policies that strengthen families, restore integrity in government, and ensure every person has a fair chance to thrive. As a veteran, foster parent, and working mom, I prioritize affordability and economic fairness so families aren’t crushed by rising costs. I’m committed to improving veterans’ care and expanding support for military families. I also believe strongly in protecting personal freedoms, including reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ equality. Public safety matters greatly to me, and I support approaches that balance accountability with prevention, mental health support, and strong community investment.”

Salaam Bhatti:

• Describes himself as follows: “a public-interest lawyer, husband, and father of two boys, and is running as a Democrat for Congress to fight for families across Virginia’s 1st District”; “Born to immigrants and raised on Mister Rogers, Sesame Street, public libraries and schools, WIC and free school meals, Salaam knows firsthand how vital community and public service are.”
• Had $25,463 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26.
• Endorsed by VA State Senator Saddam Salim, Del. Charlie Schmidt, Del. Sam Rasoul, Chesterfield County Commissioner of Revenue Jenefer Hughes, 2020 VA01 Democratic nominee Qasim Rashid, 2022 VA01 Democratic nominee Herb Jones, etc.
• From Ballotpedia (“Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?“): “Unrig the System: Reform taxes so that teachers and nurses aren’t paying more taxes than billionaires.”; “Fighting for Working Families. Everything is increasing in cost and our wages are not keeping up. Meanwhile, the wealth inequality gap continues to increase. The time is now to fight for families by passing Medicare for All, strengthening our safety net and making it truly efficient, and providing paid parental leave & living wages.” “Rebuild trust. We cannot trust our elected officials to act in the people’s interests if they’re voting to maintain campaign funding from corporations/foreign interests, or if they’re using information to increase their net worth. This is why I support banning Congressmembers from trading stocks, getting corporate PAC and foreign interest money out of politics, and ending the genocide in Gaza.”
• From Ballotpedia (“What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?“): “I’m passionate about policies that help families live with dignity and stability. That starts with economic security to help meet their basic needs, such as affordable food, housing, and energy. I grew up benefiting from programs like WIC and free school meals, and as a public-interest lawyer, I worked across party lines to expand SNAP and cash assistance, seeing firsthand how effective policy can reduce hardship. I’m committed to going beyond making health care affordable through supporting Medicare for All. We must strengthen accountability in government through campaign finance reform and ensure public policy is guided by liberty and justice for all – both at home and abroad.”

Tim Cywinski:

• Describes himself as follows: “After graduating he worked inside government — interning for U.S. Senator Tim Kaine — and outside it, doing grassroots organizing with the National Education Association before moving to Richmond to lobby and organize for a nonpartisan, nonprofits focused on college affordability, campus safety, and economic fairness. Since 2019, he has served as Communications Director for the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter — working alongside communities across the Commonwealth to take on powerful interests and win.”
• Had $12,850 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26
• I don’t see any endorsements listed on his website or Facebook page; happy to add if there are any endorsements for him (on Ballotpedia, he says “Just everyday people so far.”).
• From Ballotpedia (“Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?“): “I call myself a Reformist Democrat because I don’t see how government can deliver real solutions for real people without fixing the system itself. 35 years ago, my family lost their house to medical debt — and families are still being put in that impossible position today, while healthcare companies pour billions into lobbying and campaign contributions to keep the rules exactly as they are. Our most pressing challenges aren’t really about Left vs. Right, or MAGA vs. Democrats. They’re about who has power and who doesn’t. I’m running to deliver that power back to people — especially the ones who can’t write a big check or afford a lobbyist.” “My platform is called the Fair Shot Agenda, because fixing our politics will unlock our nation’s capacity for dignity and opportunity. The pillars are: Fight Big Money in Politics — get corporate cash out and give everyday people a real voice. Restore Real Representation — mandatory ethics standards so members of Congress answer to you, not lobbyists and party bosses. Tax Hard Work Less, Tax Corporate Greed More — shift the burden off working families onto the corporations exploiting labor and gaming the system. Accomplish these, and the hope is we can usher in a new era of politics, led by a new class of politician who were chosen by the people.” “Voters across the political spectrum are asking two questions right now: Who does our politics truly work for? And who is the economy built to serve? When the answer to both is “not me,” you get a society where hatred thrives, division breeds, and bad-faith politicians scapegoat their way to power. But as a community organizer, I’ve seen what happens when people become their own champions. I’ve worked with people across this Commonwealth who were told to accept a status quo built for someone else — teachers told they didn’t deserve a raise, communities told they only deserved a data center. They weren’t supposed to win. They found a way anyway. That’s the hope I run on.”
• From Ballotpedia (“What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?“):  “It’s Dignity and Rights. Every person deserves to be treated as a full human being, with a fair shot and a real voice. That’s the thread through everything: an economy where hard work actually pays off, education that isn’t a debt sentence, healthcare you can’t lose your home over, civil rights that protect everyone, and a government that truly represents the people it serves. This isn’t new for me. I studied political science, and my career has lived it — organizing for educators with the NEA, fighting to make college affordable, and now environmental justice with the Sierra Club. Different issues, same fight: making sure power answers to people, not the other way around. Dignity for all. No exceptions.”

Jason Knapp:

• Describes himself as “a retired Navy Commander and F/A-18 combat pilot with 21 years of service, a clean energy advocate, and a father of three under 10 years old, running to restore the promise of America for working families”
• Had $264,634 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26
• “Endorsed by former Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo, by Veterans for Responsible Leadership, and by Williamsburg/JCC Indivisible.”
• From Ballotpedia (“Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?“): “I’ve lived in countries all over the world — many far poorer than ours — and in nearly every one, people take care of their weakest. They feed them, clothe them, house them. Only here, in the richest country on earth, do we so often choose to let our most vulnerable suffer. That is a choice, and we can do better. The wealthiest nation in history should never force a family to choose between medicine and food, leave veterans fighting a bureaucracy for benefits they earned, or crush the farmers and watermen who feed us to protect corporate profits. I’ll fight to protect Medicaid, SNAP, and the safety net — these are not bargaining chips. I was one of the kids that net caught, and I know exactly what it makes possible.” “Working families in VA-01 are squeezed by rising prices, high housing, and healthcare costs — while the incumbent protects the corporations driving costs up. I’ve done the work: my universal healthcare framework covers every American — dental, vision, mental health — is fully funded, and saves families, government, and business money. On data centers, not one component of their build or operation should touch your power bill — with protections for water, noise, EMI and RFI, and setbacks from homes and schools. I’d build cheaper battery storage over gas peakers, build housing with union labor, and restore tax rates asking the wealthiest to pay their share. Your paycheck should work for your family, not corporate profits.” “I’m not running to climb a ladder or get rich. Twenty-one years in the Navy taught me you serve the mission and the people depending on you, not yourself — and I’ll bring that with hard commitments most politicians won’t make: a ban on members of Congress trading stocks, term limits, and my pledge to serve in the House no more than four terms. The plain truth: a politician who takes corporate money is compromised. Corporations don’t donate out of the goodness of their hearts — they donate as a business expense and expect a return. So my answer is no corporate money, ever. No Dominion Energy money, ever. I want to answer to one group: the constituents of this district. That’s the whole job.”
• From Ballotpedia (What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?): “Veterans — I’ve personally helped fellow service members navigate a broken benefits system, and I rely on VA care myself. Access should be automatic, not a battle. Safety-net programs — I was raised on SNAP and Medicaid; they gave my mother the stability to build a career in public service. They save lives and should never be political leverage. Clean energy — as an Atlantic Council Veterans Advanced Energy Fellow and a clean energy professional, I’ve worked to strengthen American energy independence and manufacturing. Education and the trades — a majority of high school graduates don’t earn a four-year degree, and we need real investment in vocational training and apprenticeships. These are personal to me, not just policy positions.”

Ericka Kopp:

• Describes herself as “a first generation American on my mother’s side, first generation college graduate, and the first ever on either side of my family to become an attorney…biracial, bisexual, and bilingual…a healthcare lawyer and a caregiver to a disabled veteran”; Says “Ericka Kopp won’t cave to pressure. She won’t be bought. She will stand up, speak out, and hold federal officials accountable.”
• Had $10,538 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26.
• Endorsed by “Courage for Democracy”; happy to add others if there are any I missed.
• From Ballotpedia (“Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?“): “Access to healthcare. The US is the only developed nation without universal healthcare. If we undo the tax breaks for billionaires and appropriately tax both them and the corporations they own, we can make that happen.” “Veterans issues. Veterans put their lives on the line to serve this country. We need to reduce the senseless barriers to accessing veterans benefits. As a congressional established agency, Congress can, and must, act to address the critical staffing shortages at VA.” “Federally codifying rights. Never before has it been more important the fact that federal law acts as a floor when it comes to minimum rights. We can work together to protect people by enacting into law a woman’s right to make decisions about her own healthcare and same-sex marriage.”
• From Ballotpedia (“What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?“): “Healthcare, veterans, civil rights”

Shannon Taylor:

• Describes herself as ” the first woman ever elected as Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney—and the first Democrat in 24 years to hold the seat. She has since been re-elected three times, proving she knows how to win tough races… a record of shutting down fraudsters trying to take advantage of working families and locking up violent criminals who threaten our safety.”
• Had $822,256 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26 (Taylor is by far the frontrunner in terms of VA01 Democratic fundraising)
• Endorsed by Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Mark Warner, Gov. Abigail Spanberger, former Governors Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08), Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) , Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07), Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11), Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10), former Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, the DCCC (“Red to Blue” candidate), VA Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, EMILY’s List, Brady PAC, etc, etc.
• From Ballotpedia: “Shannon Taylor has not yet completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.” So…from her website, see here for her “‘Serve the People First’ Agenda.” That covers some issues (ethics, campaign finance, term limits, pardon powers, etc.), but of course there are a ton more that aren’t covered in that agenda. So on Taylor’s website, she lists her priorities as  “Lower costs and grow the economy” (“Cut taxes to help families keep more of what they earn. Fight against inflationary policies that are driving up the cost of groceries, gas, and utilities. Create good-paying jobs by investing in energy, infrastructure, and small businesses.”) ; “Clean up crime and corruption” (“Invest in local law enforcement to ensure they have the resources they need to keep criminals off our streets. Fight for legislation that gets drugs and illegal guns out of our community. Ban insider stock trading and stop big corporations from taking advantage of working families through high interest rates and price gouging.”); “Fight for quality, affordable healthcare” (“Fight to protect Medicare and Social Security for seniors. Lower the cost of prescription drugs. Stop efforts to take away coverage or raise costs on working families.”)

Mel Tull:

• Describes himself as: “a Henrico dad, a veteran, and a business lawyer based in Henrico County. I’ve spent more than 30 years working in the real world, helping businesses grow, solving complex problems, and supporting communities across our region. I’m not a career politician. I’m running for Congress to bring a practical, solutions-focused approach to Washington — one that listens, shows up, and works for the people it represents.”
• Had $46,995 cash-on-hand as of 3/31/26.
• I don’t see any endorsements listed on his website or Ballotpedia; happy to add them if there are any…
• From Ballotpedia: Says “Melvin Tull has not yet completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.” So…from his website, he lists his priorities as: “Strengthen our Economy and Champion Fiscal Responsibility”; “Education, Schools and Workforce Training”; “Healthcare Access and Affordability”; “Affordable Housing and Reducing the Cost of Living”; “Improve and modernize Virginia’s infrastructure”; “Protect the Environment and Promote Clean Energy” (note: he says “Pursue an ‘all of the above’ approach to meet our energy needs,” which usually means fossil fuels AND clean energy; “Technology and AI Regulation”; “Defend the Constitution, Democracy, and the Rule of Law.”

P.S. See below for whatever videos I can find of VA01 Democratic forums/debates.