Virginia's sixth congressional district is a
United States congressional district
Congressional districts in the United States are electoral divisions for the purpose of electing members of the United States House of Representatives. The number of voting seats within the House of Representatives is currently set at 435, wi ...
in the Commonwealth of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. It covers much of the west-central portion of the state, including
Roanoke,
Harrisonburg, and
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
. The district also encompasses most of the
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...
. It has been represented by
Republican Ben Cline
Benjamin Lee Cline (born February 29, 1972) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party ( ...
since 2019, following the retirement of longtime incumbent Republican
Bob Goodlatte
Robert William Goodlatte (; born September 22, 1952) is an American politician, attorney, and lobbyist who served in the United States House of Representatives representing from 1993 to 2019. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he was ...
.
The district was an
open seat
The Barcelona Open (currently sponsored by Banc Sabadell) is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players. The event was founded in 1953 as a combined men's and women's tournament until 1980. It is played at the Real Club de Tenis B ...
in
2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
. In November 2017, Goodlatte announced that he would retire from
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
at the end of his current term, and would not seek re-election.
Historically, the 6th district was one of the first areas of Virginia to turn Republican. Many of the old
Byrd Democrats in the area began splitting their tickets and voting Republican at the national level as early as the 1930s. It was also one of the first areas of Virginia where Republicans were able to break the long Democratic dominance at the state and local level. The district itself was in Republican hands from 1953 to 1983. Democrat
Jim Olin
James Randolph Olin (February 28, 1920 – July 29, 2006) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Virginia. From 1983 to 1993, Olin, a Democrat, served in the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 6th congressional distr ...
then won the seat in 1982, and held it for a decade before Goodlatte won it.
Some counties in the district have not supported a Democrat for president since
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. For instance,
Highland
Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...
and
Shenandoah counties last voted for a Democratic presidential candidate
in 1932, and
Augusta and
Roanoke counties have not supported a Democrat
since 1944. The district as a whole has not supported a Democrat for president since
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), also known as LBJ, was the 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969. He became president after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, under whom he had served a ...
in 1964.
Area covered
For the
118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the
2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and communities:
Alleghany County (7)
: All 7 communities
Augusta County (20)
: All 20 communities
Bath County (3)
: All 3 communities
Botetourt County (10)
: All 10 communities
Clarke County (3)
: All 3 communities
Frederick County (6)
: All 6 communities
Highland County (2)
:
McDowell,
Monterey
Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census.
The city was fou ...
Lancaster County (5)
: All 5 communities
Page County (3)
: All 3 communities
Roanoke County (3)
:
Glenvar,
Hollins,
Vinton
Rockbridge County (4)
: All 4 communities
Rockingham County (15)
: All 15 communities
Shenandoah County (9)
: All 9 communities
Warren County (6)
: All 6 communities
Independent cities (9)
:
Buena Vista,
Covington,
Harrisonburg,
Lexington,
Roanoke,
Salem
Salem may refer to:
Places
Canada
* Salem, Ontario, various places
Germany
* Salem, Baden-Württemberg, a municipality in the Bodensee district
** Salem Abbey (Reichskloster Salem), a monastery
* Salem, Schleswig-Holstein
Israel
* Salem (B ...
,
Staunton,
Waynesboro,
Winchester
Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
Recent election results
2000s
2010s
2020s
2024
Recent election results from statewide races
List of members representing the district
Historical district boundaries
The Virginia Sixth District started in 1788 covering the counties of Campbell, Charlotte, Buckingham, Bedford, Prince Edward, Franklin, Henry, Pittsylvania and Halifax.
Statute of 20 November 1788
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See also
*Virginia's congressional districts
Virginia is currently divided into 11 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Current districts and representatives
List of members of the United States House delegation from Virgini ...
*List of United States congressional districts
Congressional districts in the United States are electoral divisions for the purpose of electing members of the United States House of Representatives. The number of voting seats within the House of Representatives is currently set at 435, wi ...
References
*
*
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present
{{Coord, 38, 7, 51.6, N, 79, 2, 38, W, display=title
06
Constituencies established in 1789
1789 establishments in Virginia
Constituencies disestablished in 1933
1933 disestablishments in Virginia
Constituencies established in 1935
1935 establishments in Virginia