Virginia's 3rd congressional district

Virginia's third congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, serving the independent cities of Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton and Portsmouth and part of the independent city of Chesapeake. It has been represented by Democrat Bobby Scott since 1993. The district is majority-minority, has a plurality black electorate, and is heavily Democratic.

In 1788, Virginia's 3rd congressional district consisted of all of modern Virginia including and west of the counties of Carroll, Floyd, Roanoke, Botetourt, Augusta and Rockingham. It also included what is today Pendleton County, West Virginia and also about the southern third of West Virginia, which in 1788 was all Greenbrier County. This area that is today about 48 counties and 13 independent cities was in 1788 only nine counties.Parsons, Stanley B, William W. Beach and Dan Hermann. United States Congressional Districts 1788-1841. (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1978) p. 29

In the 1790 census, this area had a population of 66,045.Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 28 For the 1792 congressional elections, the number of congressional districts in Virginia rose from 10 to 19. The only county that remained in the third district was Pendleton County. Harrison, Randolph, Hardy, Hampshire, Monongalia and Ohio Counties all now in West Virginia, were also in the district.Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 71 This was all of northern West Virginia except the far eastern panhandle area. The new district's 1790 population was 30,145.Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 70

The 1800 census led to another increase in Virginia's congressional districts in 1802. The third district was again moved, this time to what was then Frederick and Shenandoah Counties in Virginia, which besides those counties also included the modern counties of Clarke and Warren and part of Page.Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 129 The new 3rd district had a population of 38,767 in 1800.Parsons. Congressional Districts. p. 128

For most of the time from the end of the Civil War to 1993, the 3rd district was a relatively compact district centered on Richmond. The district's current configuration dates to the 1992 election, when the Justice Department ordered Virginia to create a majority-minority district. At that time, portions of the old 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th districts were combined to create a new 3rd district.

The Virginia Legislature's 2012 redistricting was found unconstitutional, in part because of racial gerrymandering, and replaced was with a court-ordered map on January 16, 2016 for the 2016 elections. From 1993 to 2016, the 3rd had covered most of the majority-black precincts in and around Hampton Roads and Richmond. The court-drawn map shifted the area near Richmond to the 4th district.

Recent election results from statewide races Year Office Results2008 PresidentObama 67% - 32% SenateWarner 76% - 23%2009 GovernorDeeds 56% - 44% Lt. GovernorWagner 59% - 41% Attorney GeneralShannon 57% - 43%2012 PresidentObama 68% - 31% SenateKaine 69% - 31%2013 GovernorMcAuliffe 64% - 30% Lt. GovernorNortham 70% - 30% Attorney GeneralHerring 65% - 34%2014 SenateWarner 65% - 32%2016 PresidentClinton 64% - 31%2017 GovernorNortham 69% - 30% Lt. GovernorFairfax 67% - 32% Attorney GeneralHerring 68% - 32%2018 SenateKaine 71% - 27%2020 PresidentBiden 68% - 30% SenateWarner 70% - 30%2021 GovernorMcAuliffe 63% - 35% Lt. GovernorAyala 64% - 36% Attorney GeneralHerring 64% - 35%2024 PresidentHarris 66% - 32% SenateKaine 69% - 31%2025 GovernorSpanberger 72% - 28% Lt. GovernorHashmi 70% - 30% Attorney GeneralJones 69% - 31%

Composition For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following communities:

Independent cities (5)

Chesapeake (part; also 2nd), Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth

List of members representing the district Representative Party Term Congress Electoral history District established March 4, 1789 Andrew Moore Anti-Administration March 4, 1789 –March 3, 1793 Elected in 1789.Re-elected in 1790.Redistricted to the . Joseph Neville Anti-Administration March 4, 1793 –March 3, 1795 Elected in 1793.Lost re-election. George Jackson Democratic-Republican March 4, 1795 –March 3, 1797 Elected in 1795.Lost re-election. James Machir Federalist March 4, 1797 –March 3, 1799 Elected in 1797.Retired. George Jackson Democratic-Republican March 4, 1799 –March 3, 1803 Elected in 1799.Re-elected in 1801.Redistricted to the and retired. John Smith Democratic-Republican March 4, 1803 –March 3, 1815 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1803.Re-elected in 1805.Re-elected in 1807.Re-elected in 1809.Re-elected in 1811.Re-elected in 1813.Retired. Henry S. Tucker Democratic-Republican March 4, 1815 –March 3, 1819 Elected in 1815.Re-elected in 1817.Retired. Jared Williams Democratic-Republican March 4, 1819 –March 3, 1823 Elected in 1819.Re-elected in 1821.Redistricted to the . William S. Archer Democratic-Republican March 4, 1823 –March 3, 1825 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1823.Re-elected in 1825.Re-elected in 1827.Re-elected in 1829.Re-elected in 1831.Re-elected in 1833.Lost re-election. Jacksonian March 4, 1825 –March 3, 1835 John W. Jones Jacksonian March 4, 1835 –March 3, 1837 Elected in 1835.Re-elected in 1837.Re-elected in 1839.Re-elected in 1841.Redistricted to the . Democratic March 4, 1837 –March 3, 1843 Walter Coles Democratic March 4, 1843 –March 3, 1845 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1843.Retired. William M. Tredway Democratic March 4, 1845 –March 3, 1847 Elected in 1845.Lost re-election. Thomas S. Flournoy Whig March 4, 1847 –March 3, 1849 Elected in 1847.Lost re-election. Thomas H. Averett Democratic March 4, 1849 –March 3, 1853 Elected in 1849.Re-elected in 1851.Lost re-election. John S. Caskie Democratic March 4, 1853 –March 3, 1859 Redistricted from the and re-elected in 1853.Re-elected in 1855.Re-elected in 1857.Lost re-election. Daniel C. DeJarnette Sr. Independent Democratic March 4, 1859 –March 3, 1861 Elected in 1859.Resigned. District inactive March 4, 1861 –January 27, 1870 Civil War and Reconstruction Charles H. Porter Republican January 27, 1870 –March 3, 1873 Elected in 1870.Retired. John A. Smith Republican March 4, 1873 –March 3, 1875 Elected in 1872.Lost re-election. Gilbert C. Walker Democratic March 4, 1875 –March 3, 1879 Elected in 1874.Re-elected in 1876.Retired. Joseph E. Johnston Democratic March 4, 1879 –March 3, 1881 Elected in 1878.Retired. George D. Wise Democratic March 4, 1881 –April 11, 1890 Elected in 1880.Re-elected in 1882.Re-elected in 1884.Re-elected in 1886.Election invalidated. Edmund Waddill Jr. Republican April 12, 1890 –March 3, 1891 Elected in 1890.Retired. George D. Wise Democratic March 4, 1891 –March 3, 1895 Elected in 1890.Re-elected in 1892.Retired. Tazewell Ellett Democratic March 4, 1895 –March 3, 1897 Elected in 1894.Lost re-election. John Lamb Democratic March 4, 1897 –March 3, 1913 Elected in 1896.Re-elected in 1898.Re-elected in 1900.Re-elected in 1902.Re-elected in 1904.Re-elected in 1906.Re-elected in 1908.Re-elected in 1910.Lost re-election. Andrew J. Montague Democratic March 4, 1913 –March 3, 1933 Elected in 1912.Re-elected in 1914.Re-elected in 1916.Re-elected in 1918.Re-elected in 1920.Re-elected in 1922.Re-elected in 1924.Re-elected in 1926.Re-elected in 1928.Re-elected in 1930.Redistricted to the . District inactive March 4, 1933 –January 3, 1935 Andrew J. Montague Democratic January 3, 1935 –January 24, 1937 Elected in 1934.Re-elected in 1936.Died. Vacant January 24, 1937 –November 2, 1937 David E. Satterfield Jr. Democratic November 2, 1937 –February 15, 1945 Elected to finish Montague's term.Re-elected in 1938.Re-elected in 1940.Re-elected in 1942.Resigned. Vacant February 15, 1945 –March 6, 1945 J. Vaughan Gary Democratic March 6, 1945 –January 3, 1965 Elected to finish Satterfield's term.Re-elected in 1944.Re-elected in 1946.Re-elected in 1948.Re-elected in 1950.Re-elected in 1952.Re-elected in 1954.Re-elected in 1956.Re-elected in 1958.Re-elected in 1960.Re-elected in 1962.Retired. David E. Satterfield III Democratic January 3, 1965 –January 3, 1981 Elected in 1964.Re-elected in 1966.Re-elected in 1968.Re-elected in 1970.Re-elected in 1972.Re-elected in 1974.Re-elected in 1976.Re-elected in 1978.Retired. Thomas J. Bliley Jr. Republican January 3, 1981 –January 3, 1993 Elected in 1980.Re-elected in 1982.Re-elected in 1984.Re-elected in 1986.Re-elected in 1988.Re-elected in 1990.Redistricted to the . Robert C. Scott Democratic January 3, 1993 –present Elected in 1992.Re-elected in 1994.Re-elected in 1996.Re-elected in 1998.Re-elected in 2000.Re-elected in 2002.Re-elected in 2004.Re-elected in 2006.Re-elected in 2008.Re-elected in 2010.Re-elected in 2012.Re-elected in 2014.Re-elected in 2016.Re-elected in 2018.Re-elected in 2020.Re-elected in 2022.Re-elected in 2024.

Election results

Year Democratic Republican Independents 1970 David E. Satterfield, III: 73,104 J. Harvie Wilkinson, III: 35,229 Ulrich Troubetskoy: 371 1972 David E. Satterfield, III: 102,523   1974 David E. Satterfield, III: 64,627 Alan Robert Ogden: 7,574 1976 David E. Satterfield, III: 129,066 Alan Robert Ogden: 17,503 1978 David E. Satterfield, III: 104,550 Alan Robert Ogden: 14,453 1980 John A. Mapp: 60,962 Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 96,524 Howard H. Carwile: 19,549 1982 John A. Waldrop, Jr.: 63,946 Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 92,928   1984 Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 169,987 Roger L. Coffey: 28,556 1986 Kenneth E. Powell: 32,961 Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 74,525 J. Stephen Bodges: 3,675 1988 Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 187,354 1990 James A. Starke, Jr.: 36,253 Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 77,125 Rose L. Simpson: 4,317 1992 Robert C. Scott: 132,432 Daniel Jenkins: 35,780   1994 Robert C. Scott: 108,532 Thomas E. Ward: 28,080   1996 Robert C. Scott: 118,603 Elsie Goodwyn Holland: 25,781   1998 Robert C. Scott: 48,129 R. S. Barnett: 14,453 2000 Robert C. Scott: 137,527   2002 Robert C. Scott: 87,521   2004 Robert C. Scott: 159,373 Winsome E. Sears: 70,194   2006 Robert C. Scott: 133,546   2008 Robert C. Scott: 239,911   2010 Robert C. Scott: 114,754 C. L. Smith, Jr.: 44,553 John D. Kelly: 1,927 2012 Robert C. Scott: 259,199Dean J. Longo: 58,931   2014 Robert C. Scott: 139,197   2016 Robert C. Scott: 208,337 Martin L. Williams: 103,289   2018 Robert C. Scott: 198,615   2020 Robert C. Scott: 233,326 John Collick: 107,299   2022 Robert C. Scott: 139,659 Terry Namkung: 67,668   2024 Robert C. Scott: 219,926 John Sitka III: 93,801 Write-in: 670

Historical district boundaries The Virginia Third District started in 1788, covering the counties of Botetourt, Rockbridge, Montgomery, Greenbrier, Washington, Augusta, Russell, Rockingham and Pendleton.Statute of 20 November 1788

See also

Virginia's congressional districts List of United States congressional districts

Sources

Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present