The 2008 congressional elections in Virginia were held on November 4, 2008, to determine who would represent the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential and senatorial elections. Representatives were elected for two-year terms in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. Primary elections were held on June 10, 2008.
Virginia had eleven seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Democrats flipped the 2nd, 5th, and 11th districts, flipping their 3–8 deficit into a 6–5 majority, their first since 1998. As of 2024, this is the last time that Democrats were elected to the 5th or 9th congressional districts. This was also the last time until 2018 that Democrats won the majority of House seats in Virginia.
Incumbent Republican Rob Wittman, who had represented the district since 2007, ran for re-election. He was elected with 60.8% of the vote in 2007 and the district had a PVI of R+9.[2]
Republican primary
A Westmoreland County resident, former State Board of Health field director for the Division of Shellfish Sanitation and past member of the Virginia House of Delegates,[3] Wittman had only held the seat since January 2008, having won the special election to succeed deceased Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis. He had taken up many of her causes, including the FairTax, veterans' interests and getting rid of the remainder of the ghost fleet stationed at the James River.[4][5][6] Like Davis, he is also introducing legislation to allow Virginia to regulate the importation of trash from other states.[7]
The Democratic Party of Virginia held its convention on May 17 in Williamsburg, Virginia and selected Keith Hummel, the only person running for the Democratic nomination at the time. Only four votes were cast to not nominate anyone.[9] A Westmoreland County physician and self-described "populist Democrat", Hummel also operates a farm and winery. The issues he was running on included enacting trade and tax policies to protect American jobs and American interests (rather than those of a few multinational corporations); using the military for defense rather than offensively; providing better health care and other benefits to veterans; and universal health care.[10]
The main issues he was running on are free market roads and transit privatization,[15] which he proposed as the solution to DC Metropolitan area traffic congestion, recently ranked the second-worst in the country.[16] He supported auctioning off the Interstate Highway System and rail systems such as Amtrak to private investors.[17] Larson also sought to dissolve the U.S. military and establish a competitive market for defense services.[18]
The candidates appeared on Cathy Lewis's TV program, What Matters, on October 15.[21] The candidates held a spirited and well-attended[22] debate on October 22 in which differing opinions on health care and the economy played a central role. Wittman defended his vote against the bailout package, while Day said he would have voted for it, and Larson said that it would have been better for the economy if the banks had been allowed to fail. On Medicare, Wittman advocated restructuring the system, while Day argued for expanding it and Larson shocked the audience by calling for its abolition.[23][24]
In 2006, Drake survived a bid from Democrat Phil Kellam by only 51.27% to 48.45%. In 2004, Drake received 55% of the vote in this Virginia Beach-based district, which was won by George W. Bush with 57% to 42% for John Kerry in 2004. But in 2005 Democratic Governor Tim Kaine won the district by 50% to 47%.[34] In 2006, Drake may have been hurt by the downfall of Republican U.S. Senator George Allen, who narrowly lost to Democrat Jim Webb, an ex-Republican and former Navy Secretary under Ronald Reagan. (Allen carried the district 51%–48%.[35])
The District runs from Hampton Roads to Richmond. Incumbent Democrat Bobby Scott, who had represented the district since 1993, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 96.1% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+18.[2] That year Democrat Webb carried 68% of the district in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 71% to 27% in his gubernatorial race.[34]
The District lies in southeastern Virginia. Incumbent Republican Randy Forbes, who had represented the district since 2001, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 76.1% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+5.[2] In 2006 Democrat Webb lost the district 45%–54% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine lost the district by 48.3% to 49.6% in his gubernatorial race.[34]
The District lies in southern and central Virginia. Incumbent Republican Virgil Goode, who had represented the district since 1997, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 59.1% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+6.[2] Democrat Webb lost the district 45%–54% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 49.6% to 48.4% in his gubernatorial race.[34] Goode originally won his seat as a Democrat in 1996, voted for President Clinton's impeachment in 1998, became an Independent in 2000, and then joined the Republican Party in 2002. He became the first Republican to represent the district since 1889.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee considered Goode a "targeted Republican", based partly on Perriello's early fundraising.[47] On August 1, the DCCC named Perriello as one of its Red to Blue candidates.[48]
Democrat Perriello defeated Republican incumbent Goode 50.1% to 49.9%.[55] A recount was conducted and Perriello was finally certified [56] as the winner by 727 of 316,893 votes on December 17. This was the closest House race in 2008.
The District lies in western Virginia. Incumbent Republican Bob Goodlatte, who had represented the district since 1993, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 75.1% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+11.[2] Democrat Webb lost the district 40%–58% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine lost the district by 44% to 53% in his gubernatorial race.[34]
The 7th District included western parts of Richmond, as well as its nearby suburbs in Henrico County, but otherwise is largely rural. Incumbent Republican Eric Cantor, who had represented the district since 2002, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 63.8% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+11.[2]
Hartke, 48, a resident of Amissville, Virginia.[59] Her stated positions included improvements on the National Energy Policy by investing in alternative energy in order to reduce the use of foreign oil and fossil fuels. She also supported universal health care as well as gradual withdrawal of troops from Iraq. She also supported reform of the controversial No Child Left Behind Act and increasing funding to the public school system as well as hoping to end student college loan rates in excess of 20%.[60]
The District lies in heavily suburban Northern Virginia. Incumbent Democrat Jim Moran, who had represented the district since 1985, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 66.4% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of D+14.[2]. That year Democrat Webb won the district 69%–30% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 70% to 28% in his gubernatorial race.[34]
The District covers much of Southwest Virginia. Incumbent Democrat Rick Boucher, who had represented the district since 1983, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 67.8% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+7.[2] Democrat Webb lost the district 44%–55% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine lost the district by 43% to 55% in his gubernatorial race.[34]
The District lies in Northern and northwestern Virginia. It covers Loudoun, Prince William and parts of Fairfax and Fauquier counties, as well as Manassas. Incumbent Republican Frank Wolf, the Dean of the Virginia congressional delegation, who had represented the district since 1981, ran for re-election. He was re-elected with 57.3% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+5.[2]Democrat Webb won the district 50.0%–48.8% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 50% to 46% in his gubernatorial race.[34] In 2004 George W. Bush won 55% of this district.
Incumbent Republican Tom Davis, who had represented the Democratic trending district, located in the wealthy Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC which includes part of Fairfax and Prince William counties, since 1995, retired rather than run for re-election. He was re-elected with% of the vote in 2006 and the district had a PVI of R+1.[2]George W. Bush barely won this district with 50% to 49% for John Kerry in 2004. Webb won the district 55%–44% in his Senate race.[35] In 2005 Democrat Tim Kaine won the district by 56% to 42% in his gubernatorial race.[34]
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