Virginia's 2nd congressional district
Virginia's second congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It currently encompasses all of Accomack, Northampton and York counties, all of the cities of Virginia Beach and Williamsburg and parts of the cities of Norfolk and Hampton, although its boundaries changed greatly over the centuries (it initially encompassed what became West Virginia after the American Civil War). Republican Scott Rigell defeated Democrat Glenn Nye in the November 2, 2010 election, and took his seat January 3, 2011 until 2017, when he was succeeded by Scott Taylor. In the November 6, 2018 election, Democrat Elaine Luria defeated Republican Scott Taylor. It is now considered one of Virginia's most competitive congressional districts. As of 2021, by Cook Partisan Voting index, this is the median district in the country, with 217 districts rated more Democrat and 217 districts rated more Republican. VA-02 took this title from NJ-07.
Virginia's 2nd congressional district | |||
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![]() Virginia's 2nd congressional district since January 3, 2017 | |||
Representative |
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Distribution |
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Population (2019) | 723,927[2] | ||
Median household income | $74,704[3] | ||
Ethnicity |
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Cook PVI | R+1[4] |
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2016 redistricting

The Virginia Legislature's 2012 redistricting of the adjacent 3rd district was found unconstitutional and replaced with a court-ordered redistricting on January 16, 2016 for the 2016 elections.[5][6][7][8][9]
Recent results in statewide races
List of members representing the district
Election results
1980s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | G. William Whitehurst (Incumbent) | 97,319 | 89.84% | |
Independent | Kenneth P. Morrison | 11,003 | 10.16% | |
Write-in | 6 | 0.01% | ||
Total votes | 108,328 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | G. William Whitehurst (Incumbent) | 78,108 | 99.88% | |
Write-in | 97 | 0.12% | ||
Total votes | 78,205 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | G. William Whitehurst (Incumbent) | 136,632 | 99.81% | |
Write-in | 256 | 0.19% | ||
Total votes | 136,888 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett | 54,491 | 49.46% | |||
Republican | A. Joe Canada Jr. | 46,137 | 41.88% | |||
Independent | Stephen P. Shao | 9,492 | 8.62% | |||
Write-in | 49 | 0.04% | ||||
Total votes | 110,169 | 100% | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 106,666 | 60.53% | |
Republican | Jerry R. Curry | 62,564 | 35.51% | |
Independent | Stephen P. Shao | 4,255 | 2.41% | |
Independent | Robert A. Smith | 2,691 | 1.53% | |
Write-in | 32 | 0.02% | ||
Total votes | 176,208 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
1990s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 55,179 | 74.95% | |
Independent | Harry G. Broskie | 15,915 | 21.62% | |
Write-in | 2,524 | 3.43% | ||
Total votes | 73,618 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 99,253 | 56.03% | |
Republican | J. L. Chapman IV | 77,797 | 43.92% | |
Write-in | 83 | 0.05% | ||
Total votes | 177,133 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 81,372 | 59.05% | |
Republican | J. L. Chapman IV | 56,375 | 40.91% | |
Write-in | 55 | 0.04% | ||
Total votes | 137,802 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 106,215 | 64.77% | |
Republican | John F. Tate | 57,586 | 35.11% | |
Write-in | 195 | 0.12% | ||
Total votes | 163,996 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Owen B. Pickett (Incumbent) | 67,975 | 94.29% | |
Write-in | 4,116 | 5.71% | ||
Total votes | 72,091 | 100% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
2000s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Edward L. Schrock | 97,856 | 51.96% | |||
Democratic | Jody M. Wagner | 90,328 | 47.96% | |||
Write-in | 145 | 0.08% | ||||
Total votes | 188,329 | 100% | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Edward L. Schrock (Incumbent) | 103,807 | 83.15% | |
Green | D. C. Amarasinghe | 20,589 | 16.49% | |
Write-in | 450 | 0.36% | ||
Total votes | 124,846 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Thelma D. Drake | 132,946 | 55.08% | |
Democratic | David B. Ashe | 108,180 | 44.82% | |
Write-in | 254 | 0.11% | ||
Total votes | 241,380 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Thelma D. Drake (Incumbent) | 88,777 | 51.27% | |
Democratic | Phil Kellam | 83,901 | 48.45% | |
Write-in | 481 | 0.28% | ||
Total votes | 173,159 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Glenn Nye | 141,857 | 52.40% | |||
Republican | Thelma D. Drake (Incumbent) | 128,486 | 47.46% | |||
Write-in | 368 | 0.14% | ||||
Total votes | 270,711 | 100% | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
2010s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | E. Scott Rigell | 88,340 | 53.12% | |||
Democratic | Glenn Nye (Incumbent) | 70,591 | 42.45% | |||
Independent | Kenny E. Golden | 7,194 | 4.33% | |||
Write-in | 164 | 0.10% | ||||
Total votes | 166,289 | 100% | ||||
Republican gain from Democratic | ||||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | E. Scott Rigell (Incumbent) | 166,231 | 53.76% | |
Democratic | Paul O. Hirschbiel, Jr. | 142,548 | 46.10% | |
Write-in | 443 | 0.14% | ||
Total votes | 309,222 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | E. Scott Rigell (Incumbent) | 101,558 | 58.68% | |
Democratic | Suzanne Patrick | 71,178 | 41.13% | |
Write-in | 324 | 0.19% | ||
Total votes | 173,060 | 100% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Scott Taylor | 190,475 | 61.33% | |
Democratic | Shaun D. Brown | 119,440 | 38.46% | |
Write-in | 652 | 0.21% | ||
Total votes | 310,567 | 100.00% | ||
Republican hold | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Elaine Luria | 139,571 | 51.05% | |||
Republican | Scott Taylor (Incumbent) | 133,458 | 48.81% | |||
Write-in | 371 | 0.14% | ||||
Total votes | 273,400 | 100.00% | ||||
Democratic gain from Republican | ||||||
2020s
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Elaine Luria (Incumbent) | 185,733 | 51.55% | |
Republican | Scott Taylor | 165,031 | 45.81% | |
Independent | David Foster | 9,170 | 2.55% | |
Write-in | 343 | 0.10% | ||
Total votes | 360,277 | 100.00% | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Historical district boundaries

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See also
References
- Geography, US Census Bureau. "Congressional Districts Relationship Files (state-based)". www.census.gov.
- Bureau, Center for New Media & Promotion (CNMP), US Census. "My Congressional District". www.census.gov.
- "My Congressional District".
- "Introducing the 2021 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. April 15, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- "Court Ordered Redistricting". Redistricting.dls.virginia.gov. September 3, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- http://redistricting.dls.virginia.gov/2010/Data/Court%20Ordered%20Redistricting/2016%2001%2007%20Personnhuballah%20v%20Alcorn%20Civil%20Action%20No.%203-13cv678.pdf
- "Supreme Court weighs legality of Virginia redistricting". The Hill. March 21, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- Todd Ruger (February 1, 2016). "Supreme Court Allows Virginia Redistricting to Stand in 2016". Roll Call. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- Andrew Cain (January 7, 2016). "Judges impose new Va. congressional map, redrawing 3rd, 4th Districts &". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
- "November 5, 1996 General Election For Office of PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT of the United States". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "NOVEMBER 4, 1997 GENERAL ELECTION For Office of Governor". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "November 7th - General Election". Virginia State Board of Elections. November 20, 2000. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "Official Results: Governor". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "Official Results: Senate". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "November 2nd - General Election Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "November 2005 Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- "November 2006 Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- "November 2008 Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "November 2009 Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- "November 2009 Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- "November 2012 Official Results". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- "Governor>Votes by District". November 2013 General Election Official Results. Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- "Lieutenant Governor>Votes by District". November 2013 General Election Official Results. Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- "Attorney General>Votes by District". November 2013 General Election Official Results. Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
- "Turnout by Congressional District". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
- "2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- "2017 Governor's Election Results by Congressional District". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- "2018 U.S. Senate Results by Congressional District". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved June 16, 2018.
- "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012".
- @greggiroux (November 16, 2021). "Certified results of Virginia governor's election by current congressional district:" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "2016 November General Congress". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
- "2018 November General Congress". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
- "2020 November General Official Results". Virginia Department of Elections. November 11, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
- Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present