Virginia's 11th congressional district (from 2023)

Virginia's 11th congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in the Commonwealth of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The district stretches from

Herndon Herndon may refer to: People * Herndon (surname), an American surname * Herndon Davis (1901–1962), American artist, journalist, illustrator, and painter Places in the United States Communities * Herndon, California, an unincorporated commun ...

to Quantico, comprising most of

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a County (United States), county in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria, Virginia, Alexandria and ...

, all of the City of Fairfax, as well as part of eastern

Prince William County Prince William County is located on the Potomac River in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population sits at 482,204, making it Virginia's second-most populous county. Its county seat is the independent city of Manassas ...

. The district is represented by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Gerry Connolly Gerald Edward Connolly (born March 30, 1950) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 11th congressional district, first elected in 2008. The district is anchored in Fairfax County, an affluent suburban coun ...

. '' The Hill'' newspaper quotes census data to conclude that Virginia's 11th district was the wealthiest congressional district in the nation from 2003 to 2013. The article attributed the wealth to the many lobbyists and two-career couples in

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

Composition

The district last existed in what is now West Virginia's 1st district and was held by Jacob B. Blair before the events of the

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states t ...

. Virginia did not have an 11th district until it was re-created after the 1990 United States Census from portions of the old 8th and 10th districts because of explosive growth in Northern Virginia. It was intended to be a "fair fight" district; indeed, it encompassed most of the more Democratic portions of the old 10th district and the more Republican portions of the old 8th district.

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

only narrowly defeated

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

here in 2004, while Democratic Governor

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgini ...

and Democratic Senator

Jim Webb James Henry Webb Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is an American politician and author. He has served as a United States senator from Virginia, Secretary of the Navy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, Counsel for the United States ...

both carried this district, in 2005 and 2006 respectively. In 2008,

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

won this district over Republican Senator

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

. Democrat

Leslie L. Byrne Leslie Larkin Byrne (born October 27, 1946) is an American businesswoman and politician. In 1992, she became the first woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A member of the Democratic Par ...

briefly held the seat for the first election cycle of the new district, but was quickly defeated in 1994 by Republican Tom Davis. Davis established a secure hold on the district during his tenure (1995–2008), but Democrat Gerald Connolly won it when Davis stepped down. Both Davis and Connolly may have been aided by their previous service on the Board of Supervisors of Fairfax County, where most of the 11th district's population is concentrated. 61.5% of 11th congressional district residents live in Fairfax County. The results of the

2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...

showed this district's population continued to grow, and due to

redistricting Redistribution (re-districting in the United States and in the Philippines) is the process by which electoral districts are added, removed, or otherwise changed. Redistribution is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral dist ...

covered more urban areas in Northern Virginia to favor the

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...

, Connolly.

Recent electoral history

1992-1998s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Statewide elections

Data on election results for Virginia districts can be found via the Virginia Department of Elections.Virginia Department of Elections
Election Results
Accessed June 1, 2017.

List of members representing the district

Historical district boundaries

Notes

References

* *
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

External links

Rep. Gerry Connolly's Official Website

Eleventh Congressional District Democratic Committee
official website
Eleventh Congressional District Republican Committee
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Virginia's 11th Congressional District 11 1793 establishments in Virginia Constituencies established in 1793 Constituencies disestablished in 1863 1863 disestablishments in Virginia Constituencies established in 1993 1993 establishments in Virginia