The Winner

If you live in Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District, Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) will keep representing you after winning an 18th term. The Associated Press called the race for Scott at 8:08 p.m. Eastern time on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3. ​

Scott has 180,901 votes (72.6%) to 59,777 (24.0%) for Republican Edwin Rivera Jr., a margin of about 49 points, with an estimated 98% of votes counted, according to Associated Press election results. Independents Makiba Gaines and Stephen Woll each took 1.6%, and Scott returns to a House where Democrats will hold the majority.

The Race

Rivera, an Army veteran who served several combat tours in the Middle East, ran on education reform, transportation and health care access, according to the Virginia Mercury’s voter guide. Both parties’ primaries were canceled, and the race ran on the existing map after a court blocked Virginia’s new one, according to Ballotpedia’s race page. Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic.

Scott’s margin widened by about 9 points from 2024, when he beat Republican John Sitka III 70% to 29.8%. He has held the seat since 1993 and is the dean of Virginia’s congressional delegation.

The Hampton Roads district includes Newport News, Hampton and Norfolk, and its economy is closely tied to military installations and shipbuilding, according to the Virginia Mercury’s election night report. About 776,100 people live there, and residents are 43.5% Black, 40.5% white, 8.8% Hispanic and 2.9% Asian.

The median household income is $67,900, and the median age is 35. Of adults, 30% hold at least a bachelor’s degree, unemployment is 5.9% and 15% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Scott’s new term begins Sunday, Jan. 3. As the top Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee, he is a potential chair of that panel in the new Democratic majority, according to PLANADVISER. His Workers Retirement Savings Protection Act would treat any paid, individualized retirement advice as fiduciary advice, a change a retirement industry policy director warned could disrupt how advisers are paid.

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