Rep. Robert J. Wittman, R-1st, cruised to victory Tuesday night, winning a fifth full term representing a district redrawn for this election.
Wittman had his eye on statewide office as he ran for re-election in the GOP-leaning 1st, which now includes Hanover and New Kent counties.
He defeated Democrat Matt Rowe, a first-term town councilman from Bowling Green, and Gail Parker, an independent who is a proponent of rail transportation.
“I’m humbled that the folks in the 1st District have chosen me,” Wittman said in a statement.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do to get Washington back on track and out of the business of overregulating people’s lives and livelihoods. But — together — I believe we can be an overwhelming force for positive change.”
This year a three-judge panel adjusted the boundaries of the 1st District while fixing constitutional flaws with the 3rd District, represented by Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott, D-3rd.
Wittman has held the seat since December 2007. He sought re-election while pursuing a bid for the GOP nomination for governor in 2017.
Rowe, a mapmaker and data analyst who works for Stafford County, argued that Wittman would spend a new congressional term running for governor.
He also sought to tie the incumbent to GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump, calling Wittman “an avid Trump supporter.”
Wittman did not run from Trump. He said he respected the decision by GOP voters to nominate him and noted that Trump got 14 million votes in the GOP primaries.
Wittman campaigned, in part, on changing the federal budgeting process, saying it is important for the nation’s economy and fiscal stability. For example, he says House rules need to be changed so that budgeting can address what he called “autopilot spending” on Social Security and Medicare.
A member of the Armed Services Committee, Wittman said the U.S. needs a greater naval presence “not to pursue combat, but to influence the course of events.”
