Republican · Virginia's 1st District · 2026
Rob Wittman
Wittman's early jobs included cooking eggs at Shoney's and working on Chesapeake Bay fishing boats.
Biography
Before Rob Wittman wrote legislation about the Chesapeake Bay, he worked on its fishing boats.1 His early jobs also included a tomato cannery, grocery store and cooking eggs at Shoney's.1 Adopted as a baby, he grew up with an Army veteran father and a schoolteacher mother.1 He and his wife, Kathryn, a retired teacher, still live in the Montross house they bought in 1985; they raised two children there and now have six grandchildren.1
Wittman trained in biology and public health and spent 26 years in state government, including work on water quality and shellfish safety.2 His political career began on Montross's town council, continued through the mayor's office, county government and Virginia's legislature, and brought him to Congress in 2007.2
One concrete part of that record is his work with Senator Mark Warner on Chesapeake Bay oversight legislation.3 The resulting 2014 law required detailed reporting on restoration spending and an independent evaluator for cleanup efforts.4 He now helps oversee military aircraft, ground forces and modernization programs as an Armed Services subcommittee chairman.2
Wittman emphasizes military readiness and economic growth.2 He says health insurance premium assistance helps people maintain coverage, while defending Medicaid work requirements and other eligibility changes and arguing for lower regulatory costs.5 Democrat Shannon Taylor is challenging his hold on a district her party has targeted for a possible House pickup.6
Record and controversies
Hospital abuse case and campaign advertising
About both candidates: Rob Wittman and Shannon Taylor
WWBT's October 15 fact check examined a Wittman advertisement blaming Taylor for allowing a nurse suspected of harming premature babies to return to work.7 The station reported that the hospital made the return decision after an earlier child protection investigation could not identify a suspect.7 Taylor's response advertisement cited a sentence six times the state recommendation; WWBT confirmed that a judge imposed three years of active imprisonment against a six month sentencing guideline recommendation.7 The guideline was a recommendation, not a legal maximum, and the sentence was the judge's decision.7
Apparent phone call during Social Security questions
A June 9, 2026 video shows Wittman speaking into his phone without answering a MeidasTouch reporter's questions about Social Security.8 PEOPLE reported that the visible screen stayed lit and cycled through apps, describing the call as apparently fake.9 His office did not answer the outlet's questions about whether the call was real, but provided a statement supporting eligibility checks to prevent improper payments and preserve Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.9