To: Interested Parties
From: Eli Cousin, Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 4, 2026
Subject: The Case Against Rob Wittman
After 40 years in politics and nearly 20 years in Congress, Rob Wittman has lost his way and come to embody the political corruption that people are sick and tired of from career politicians. Wittman first arrived in D.C. in 2007 with modest savings and a pledge to work hard for the Virginians he was elected to serve. But Washington has changed him. Wittman has become one of the key faces of D.C.’s culture of corruption, personally taking advantage of his power in order to rake in profits while working people fall further and further behind. Wittman has exploded his net worth by up to 40-fold while in office, turning his taxpayer-funded job into a multi-million dollar nest egg. He’s done it by abusing the system, including trading $2.5 million worth of stocks while voting on legislation that directly impacts his portfolio. And he’s voted to slash his own taxes to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, giving himself one of the largest tax breaks of any Member of Congress while unleashing devastating health care cuts and skyrocketing costs on his own community. Wittman no longer works for Virginians – he works for special interests and his own bottom line.
While Wittman has done nothing to address corruption in D.C., Shannon Taylor has kept her community safe and held the powerful accountable as Henrico’s top prosecutor. Shannon has locked up violent criminals, put away fraudsters, and gotten drugs and guns off our streets. She has overseen a “historic drop in homicides” – down over 80% under her leadership – and secured convictions in more than 90% of homicide cases. Now, Shannon is continuing her mission to defend Virginians, this time by taking on a corrupt and broken Washington that has left hardworking Virginians behind. Virginians deserve a representative who will fight for them, not themselves – that’s what Shannon has done in the courtroom, and it’s what she’ll do in Congress.
Virginia’s 1st Congressional District has been trending in Democrats’ direction and is primed to flip in November. President Trump’s margin of victory in the district has decreased every single time he has been on the ballot. That makes VA-01 “one of just a handful of districts” in the entire country that shifted toward Democrats in 2024, thanks in large part to gains made among voters in the Richmond suburbs – especially in Henrico (Shannon’s home base) and Chesterfield. Governor Spanberger won the district last November, cementing a true path to victory for a candidate who is focused on the issues that matter most to Virginians, like lowering costs and keeping our communities safe. Analysis from UVA’s Center for Politics shows that VA-01 is “the median House district” in 2026, putting it squarely in play and at the heart of the battlefield. And polling showed that Shannon immediately entered the race in a dead heat with Wittman, further proving she is one of the strongest challengers the incumbent has ever faced. That combination of factors is why Fox News rates the race as a Toss Up. As Shannon prosecutes the case against Wittman and a broken Washington that is raising prices on Virginians, it is clear that the perfect storm is brewing to flip this seat in November.
Wittman is A Corrupt Career Politician Who Has Exploded His Personal Wealth While Virginians Pay the Price
When Rob Wittman first arrived in Washington in 2007, his personal financial disclosure showed that he was worth as little as $22,000 with few assets to his name. Fast forward nearly 20 years later, and Wittman’s personal financial disclosure now shows that he is worth up to more than $8 million dollars. Those disclosures demonstrate how Wittman has turned his perch in Congress into a lucrative cash cow, exploding his net worth by as much as 40-fold. And while Wittman got richer, his votes in Washington have forced his own constituents to pay more on everything from groceries to gas to health care.
Wittman didn’t hit the lottery or strike gold overnight. Instead, he became a perfect example of Washington’s culture of corruption. Wittman took advantage of his public office to help himself by playing the stock market while serving on committees that impact his own portfolio. Wittman has been a prolific stock trader in Congress, trading more than $2.5 million throughout his entire time in Congress and potentially violating the STOCK Act. Reports show that Wittman bought defense stocks like Lockheed Martin and Honeywell while sitting on the House Armed Services Committee. Politico revealed Wittman purchased shares in the pharmaceutical giant AbbVie at the beginning of the pandemic as the company worked on COVID-related treatments. As recently as last month, Wittman was continuing to make market moves while his constituents pay more for everything.
Wittman also boosted his bottom line by voting to give himself a massive tax break. When Wittman cast a decisive vote for the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill – ripping away health care and jacking up costs on his own constituents – he also voted to slash taxes on his own triple decker beach house in the Outer Banks. Reports show that Wittman’s vote positioned himself to save up to $60,000 a year on tax breaks, and that his “estimated tax savings were the highest of all lawmakers who voted for the bill.” Wittman’s beach bungalow is reportedly “a $1.5 million, 3,656 sq ft beach house on the North Carolina Outer Banks, 150 miles from his Virginia district.” It’s no wonder why national anti-corruption organization End Citizens United named Congressman Rob Wittman to its 2026 Most Corrupt Politicians list. At least he’ll have more time to spend at his beachfront mansion when voters retire him in November.
As Wittman used his perch in Washington to explode his net worth, he gradually became more and more out of touch with the hardworking Virginians he was elected to represent. Wittman got “caught fundraising at [a] swanky steak house” just hours before the government shutdown, proving that he cares more about raising campaign cash and dining with his high dollar donors than working on behalf of Virginians. He won’t hold an in-person town hall, but was still “reamed by furious voters” during a telephone town hall for dodging questions. It’s become clear that even Wittman knows he can no longer defend his own record, which is why he “was caught red-handed” pretending to take a phone call to avoid answering questions about Republican proposals to cut Social Security. Wittman himself has a record of going after Social Security. He has voted for an amendment that would have forced deep cuts to Social Security, and also voted to privatize Social Security.
While Wittman was getting-rich-quick and screwing over his own community, Shannon Taylor was taking on violent criminals, fraudsters, and scammers who took advantage of Virginians. Now, she’s running to root out corruption in Washington with a straightforward plan that includes banning Members of Congress from trading stocks, shutting off the revolving door that allows politicians to go from the halls of Congress to lobby shops, and enacting term limits. The contrast could not be clearer. Wittman is looking out for himself. Shannon is fighting for you.
Wittman has Spent Years Working to Make Health Care Unaffordable and Inaccessible
While Wittman lines his own pockets in Washington, Virginia families from the Northern Neck to Henrico to Chesterfield can’t afford health care as a direct result of his votes in D.C.
After spending more than a month pledging to his Virginia constituents that he would not vote to cut Medicaid, Wittman broke his promise by casting the deciding vote for skyrocketing premiums and historic Medicaid cuts – all so that he could fund more tax cuts for billionaires. Wittman’s vote is expected to rip health insurance away from tens of thousands of people across Virginia’s 1st District and jeopardize food assistance for thousands of households in his community. He subsequently faced blowback in the local press, who wrote that Wittman “folded,” “sold out” Virginians, and didn’t have “the courage to stand up” to his own party.
As a direct result of Wittman’s vote, premiums are soaring for Virginians and multiple health care clinics have already closed across the Commonwealth. And as a direct result of Wittman’s vote, the Virginia Joint Commission on Health Care warns that VCU Health Tappahannock Hospital and Bon Secours Rappahannock General Hospital – both in VA-01 – are at risk of shutting their doors. Virginians are souring on Wittman as a result: “I see him gradually resented more and more,” said a retired teacher from Chesterfield.
It’s all part of a longstanding pattern for Wittman, who has spent years voting against legislation that would lower health care and prescription drug costs. Wittman has consistently opposed allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices and protecting seniors from higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs throughout his nearly two decades in Washington. Wittman also voted against passage of the Affordable Care Act – and has subsequently bragged that he voted dozens of times to repeal it. Virginians know that any last minute effort by Wittman to paper over his true anti-affordable health care record is nothing more than desperate election year games.
Wittman’s record of undermining health care access also includes his career-long opposition to reproductive freedom. In almost every Congress since being elected, Wittman has co-sponsored legislation which could ban all abortions and many forms of contraception. He co-sponsored legislation that would effectively ban all abortions, outlawing abortion at six weeks – before many women even know they are pregnant. Wittman celebrated the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Wittman was so extreme that he voted against the Right to Contraception Act, co-sponsored a bill to ban FDA approval for abortion medications, and even voted to impose a 48-hour waiting period for victims of rape seeking abortions. Wittman’s record will be on the ballot in November, when Virginians will have a chance to enshrine their right to an abortion into the Commonwealth’s constitution. If Wittman had his way, abortion would be banned for Virginians.
Unlike Wittman, Shannon Taylor will always fight to lower health care costs, expand access to care, and protect a woman’s right to an abortion. Shannon will fight to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that Wittman allowed to expire, resulting in higher premiums for Virginia families. And Shannon will take on Big Pharma and work to lower the cost of prescription drugs, because she works for Virginians and not big corporations.
Wittman has Unleashed Skyrocketing Costs on Virginians
Virginians are paying more for everything from gas to groceries because of Wittman’s votes in Washington.
Wittman has voted five times to continue a reckless war of choice in Iran that has resulted in multiple U.S. servicemember casualties and unleashed skyrocketing prices at the pump. A congressional report shows that “Virginians have paid $1.8 billion more for gas” since Wittman’s war of choice started. When asked if he knew how much more Virginians were paying at the pump because of his votes, Wittman offered up a completely inaccurate number – demonstrating just how out of touch he is with his constituents.
Wittman has also voted multiple times to support sweeping tariffs that are jacking up costs on everything from groceries to housing. Wittman voted for those cost-spiking tariffs a staggering eight different times. Reports show Wittman’s tariffs are estimated to cost the average American household $2,500 this year.
Wittman also cast a decisive vote to jack up already rising utility bills for hardworking Virginia families. Reports show that Wittman’s vote to eliminate commonsense energy tax credits will raise electricity prices in Virginia by five percent. Not only did Wittman vote to jack up utility costs, but he also “stands to benefit” directly from electricity rate hikes. That’s because Wittman owns up to $15,000 worth of stock in “the world’s largest electric utility holding company,” which is the same “utility company behind [a] historic rate hike.” That perfectly encapsulates Wittman’s time in Washington: he benefits while Virginians pay the price.
While Wittman has been unleashing pain and higher prices on his constituents, Shannon has been working to keep Virginians safe. Shannon has secured a 90% homicide conviction rate during her time as Henrico’s prosecutor, and her tough on crime approach has led to a more than 80% drop in the murder rate over the past year. Shannon will take that same results-oriented approach to Congress to lower costs for Virginia families and keep her community safe.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
Daily Mail: Outrage as Virginia congressman who backed Trump’s tax bill is set to pocket $60,000 on his $1.5M beach rental…while the average American will get $50 [Daily Mail, 2/18/26]
“A Virginia congressman who voted to extend a major Trump tax break could personally save up to an eyewatering $60,000 a year – thanks to his eight-bedroom beach rental, the Daily Mail can reveal. […] by voting through the Big Beautiful Bill, Wittman will save himself between $19,900 and $59,300 in taxes over a year, ITEP estimated.”
Dogwood: Report: Virginia Republican to get big tax cut from bill he helped pass [Dogwood, 10/16/25]
Washington Examiner: House Republican Rob Wittman skirts federal stock trading disclosure law [Washington Examiner, 8/16/23]
Virginia Scope: Wittman holds fundraiser as the government shutdown looms [Virginia Scope, 9/30/25]
Daily Beast: GOP Rep Caught Fundraising at Swanky Steakhouse as Shutdown Nears [Daily Beast, 10/1/25]
American Journal News: Rob Wittman invested in utility company behind historic rate hike [American Journal News, 12/23/25]
Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman stands to benefit [financially] from a utility rate hike that threatens to push already cash-strapped Americans deeper into financial hardship. Public financial disclosures show Wittman owning up to $15,000 in NextEra Energy stock, the world’s largest electric utility holding company.
People: GOP Congressman Appears to Fake Minute-Long Phone Call to Avoid Question About Possible Social Security Cuts [People, 6/10/26]
“Virginia Rep. Rob Wittman ducked questions about potential cuts to Social Security by appearing to fake a phone call outside the Capitol for more than a minute.”
The New Republic: “Wasting Time”: GOP Rep Reamed by Furious Voters as Town Hall Derails [The New Republic, 10/16/25]
“If Representative Rob Wittman thought he could hide from his constituents by hosting a virtual town hall, he was sorely mistaken.”
NOTUS: Where Republicans’ Cuts to Medicaid Could Cost Them [NOTUS, 7/17/26]
“Wittman, a ten-term Republican, told party leadership last summer that he wouldn’t support the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ because of its sweeping cuts to Medicaid, a program one in eight of his constituents rely on for coverage. But ultimately, he did. […] ‘I see him gradually resented more and more,’ Michael Hill, a 72-year-old retired teacher from Chesterfield, said of Wittman. ‘I just feel like, at this point, you might be persuaded to move in a different way.’”
The Virginian-Pilot: Editorial: In the end, Reps. Kiggans and Wittman sold out their constituents [The Virginian-Pilot Editorial Board, 5/22/25]
Yet when push came to shove — when residents of Hampton Roads really needed the elected representatives to defend their interests — U.S. Reps. Jen Kiggans and Rob Wittman folded […] It would be a betrayal were it not so predictable. For all the noise each made about fighting against the most onerous provisions of the bill — and there are many — neither had the courage to stand up to President Donald Trump or buck Republican leadership to do what was right.
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Taylor calls for Congressional stock trading ban [Richmond Times-Dispatch, 6/18/26]
“Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor, who is seeking to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, says public trust in Congress is so low that one of her top priorities would be to ban members of Congress from trading stock. Taylor said she is refusing to accept money from corporate political action committees to fund her bid for Congress. She said she would also push for legislation to permanently bar former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists.”
MS NOW: ‘Corruption,’ ‘betrayal,’ and ‘lies’: Virginia Democrat, House candidate Shannon Taylor, slams GOP incumbent Rob Wittman [MS NOW, 7/9/26]
Southeast Politics: Law enforcement leaders line up behind Shannon Taylor’s congressional campaign [Southeast Politics, 3/23/26]
“Henrico prosecutor Shannon Taylor worked with law enforcement for years to convict criminals. Now, a number of law enforcement leaders have offered her backup as she runs for Congress. The Democrat announced endorsements from 25 justice leaders as she challenges U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District. The list of public supporters includes 13 sheriffs, eight county or city attorneys, two former Virginia attorneys general, a former county attorney and a former U.S. Marshall.”
PATH TO VICTORY
Virginia’s First Congressional District is at the dead center of the House battlefield, and there is a clear path to victory in this rapidly Democratic-trending seat.
This district looks like the now-quintessential suburban swing district, with roughly 70 percent of voters in the district classified as suburban. The Richmond suburbs, especially Henrico and Chesterfield, have grown more diverse and college educated – contributing to major gains for Democrats in recent elections. These metro suburbs in Virginia moved a staggering 17 points towards Democrats between 2021 and 2025. Chesterfield swung by a 21-point margin from -4 for McAuliffe to +17 for Spanberger.
In 2018, Governor Spanberger flipped a similar Richmond suburban district against longtime incumbent Dave Brat that was R+6. Today, VA-01 is only R+3. And just like in 2018, the president is deeply unpopular and voters are hungry for change. This race mirrors Governor Spanberger’s 2018 House victory not just because of the political environment, but also because she ran with public-safety credentials and focused on the issues that mattered most to Virginia voters. Shannon will be able to follow that model to win over voters across party lines.
Rob Wittman hasn’t had to run a competitive general election race since he first arrived in Washington in 2007. Now, he’s on his back foot as Shannon Taylor prosecutes the case against his devastating record. Even Republicans know that this race is firmly in play. Polling from a Republican firm shows a tightly contested race, where Wittman is well within the margin of error with a slim lead before Shannon has even introduced herself to voters. Another public poll conducted right around Shannon’s entrance into the race showed that she is locked in a dead heat with Wittman.
Voters are finally seeing that Wittman has been changed by Washington. The more that Virginians learn about Wittman’s record of corruption and his votes to jack up costs and rip away health care, the more they are primed to vote for change. Virginians are ready to elect someone who will fight for them – that candidate is Shannon Taylor. |
