With Virginia expected to adopt a new Congressional map later this year, many potential candidates are shifting around their future plans.
The so-called “10-1” map proposed last week by Democrats in Virginia’s General Assembly would shift the boundaries of the state’s Congressional districts in hopes of expanding the party’s presence in Congress — a move that opponents have decried as unconstitutional gerrymandering even as Republican-led states make similar moves.
The boundary changes, however, would complicate representation for Northern Virginia, where the state’s most consistently Democratic base of voters is concentrated. The proposed map splits Fairfax County into five different Congressional districts, up from the current three.
While the redistricting plan’s fate remains to be determined by the Virginia Supreme Court and a statewide voter referendum expected on April 21, it has already thrown a curveball into election plans. Many candidates are still able to run in their intended districts, while others may consider running elsewhere.
Eight months before the general midterm elections, here’s a look at the current field of confirmed and possible candidates.
1st District (Southeast Fairfax County)
The new 1st District would include Franconia, Hayfield, Newington, Rose Hill and Woodlawn, plus parts of Springfield, Bailey’s Crossroads and Lorton.
Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman, who represents the current 7th District, announced today (Thursday) that he will run in the new 1st District, which would include his home of Dale City in Prince William County under the proposed redistricting map.
“This is a defining moment for our country,” Vindman said. “If Virginians stand up and approve this temporary and necessary measure to protect free and fair elections from being undermined by President Trump, I’m ready to continue serving central and northern Virginia in Congress.”
A handful of Republicans, including state Sen. Tara Durant (R-Fredericksburg) and Lake Ridge accountant John Gray, would likely run in this district after previously declaring their candidacy in the existing 7th District.
7th District (South Central Fairfax County)
The new 7th District would include Annandale, Burke, West Springfield, West Falls Church and Pimmit Hills.
Some news reports claim the proposed “lobster-shaped” district — which would extend west to the West Virginia border, east to the Potomac River and south to the outskirts of Richmond — was specifically drawn for Del. Dan Helmer (D-Clifton) to run for the seat.
However, Helmer, a U.S. Army veteran who helped organize Democratic campaigns across the state last year and unsuccessfully campaigned to succeed the retiring Rep. Jennifer Wexton in 2024, has not yet publicly announced any intentions to run.
One Democrat who has actually filed to run in the 7th District is J.P. Cooney, a North Arlington attorney who served as a top deputy for special counsel Jack Smith’s office in two criminal prosecutions against Donald Trump.
“Never before in the history of our country has a president of the United States posed a graver threat to our Democracy, our rule of law, and the economic security of American families. And never before have we had a complicit Congress rubber stamp a lawless president like Donald Trump,” Cooney said when announcing his campaign yesterday (Wednesday). “I stood up to Donald Trump as a federal prosecutor, and I’ll do it again in Congress.”
Republican Doug Ollivant, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, would likely run for this seat after his home of Culpeper County was redrawn into this district. He previously announced that he would seek the old 7th District seat.
8th District (Southern Fairfax County)
The new 8th District would include Groveton, Fort Hunt, Hybla Valley and Mount Vernon, plus parts of Fort Belvoir and Lorton.
Rep. Don Beyer, a Democrat who has represented the current 8th District since 2015, announced last week that he will run for this seat, which would still include his home of Alexandria City.
“The 8th District in the proposed redistricting map, if adopted, would make significant changes to this district and to my constituency,” Beyer said in his announcement. “… I will work hard to earn the trust of Virginians from Arlington to Yorktown, to be an effective advocate for their interests, to defend the vulnerable, show up, listen, and offer top notch constituent services to everyone I represent.”
U.S. Marine veteran Adam Dunigan, also a Democrat, intends to primary Beyer in the new district. In a statement, he said he supports the redistricting effort, “but only as triage” to counter the Trump administration.
“I entered this race to serve the people of Northern Virginia and be a symbol of change within the Democratic Party,” he said. “Arlington is my home, these are my people. Whatever the map may look like in April, my mission stays the same.”
Former Alexandria councilman Mo Seifeldein and Arlington attorney Daniel Gray had also announced primary challenges to Beyer and are still expected to partake in the race.
Republicans Tony Sabio and Luke Nathan Phillips, who entered the race for the current 8th District, have not yet announced whether they intend to run in the redrawn district.
10th District (Northwest Fairfax County)
The new 10th District would include Chantilly, Fair Oaks and parts of Herndon.
Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam launched a reelection campaign in January for the current 10th District seat, which he has held since the start of 2025 following Wexton’s retirement.
Republicans Julie Perry, a teacher from Centreville, and Sam Wong, a U.S. Army veteran, have both entered the race for the current iteration of the 10th District, though it is unclear if they will continue to run in the district under the proposed map.
11th District (North Central Fairfax County)
The new 11th District would include Fairfax City, Great Falls, McLean, Oakton, Reston, Tysons and Vienna.
Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw, who has held the seat since last September, will seek reelection in the redrawn district.
“We are at a pivotal moment for our democracy,” Walkinshaw said when launching his campaign on Feb. 6. “In the coming months, I will be campaigning vigorously to protect fair representation and ensure every Virginian’s voice is heard. I’m also energized by the opportunity to represent communities from my home in Fairfax to the Shenandoah Valley, including the community that raised me – Prince William County and the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.”
Walkinshaw has drawn one primary challenger — Bree Fram, a former U.S. Space Force colonel who was forced to retire after the Trump administration barred transgender people from serving in the armed forces. A Reston resident, Fram filed to run in the 11th Congressional District last month, but noted that could change pending the release of Democrats’ proposed map.
No major Republican candidates appear to have entered the race so far. Stewart Whitson, who was bested by Walkinshaw in last year’s special election, could campaign, as his home of Great Falls remains inside the district’s proposed boundaries.
Dan Helmer photo via Dan Helmer/Facebook. This story has been corrected after initially reporting that J.P. Cooney is campaigning for the 1st Congressional District, which most closely aligns with the current 7th District. However, in his campaign announcement, he specified that he’s running for the “newly drawn” 7th District.
