Rep. Rob Wittman Retains his Congressional Seat, Loses Prince William County

Rob Wittman with members of his campaign team.

This article has been updated Nov. 4 at 12:35 p.m. to include Prince William County's results. 

Congressman Robert “Rob” J. Wittman, the Republican nominee, is assumed to have won reelection in Virginia’s 1st District last night.

The 1st District includes the City of Manassas, Bristow, Nokesville and Quantico in Prince William, Stafford County and the City of Fredericksburg, and extends down Virginia's eastern shore along the Chesapeake Bay. 

“It is an honor to be able to serve you all for two more years in Congress. Thank you for your support and your votes! #VA01."

Wittman won 244,213 votes or 58.77% of the votes in with 242/244 precincts reporting. 

His opponent, Democrat Qasim Rashid, earned 170,771 votes or 41.1%. Rashid is a human rights lawyer, author and activist.

Prince William County was an outlier in the election. There, Rashid won 53.27% of the votes (49,046) to Wittman's 46.59% (42,892.) Rashid also did better in the City of Fredericksburg than Rashid. Wittman handily won more rural areas of the district.

Wittman has represented the 1st District in Congress since 2007. He served on the Committee of Armed Services and Committee on Natural Resources.

Wittman worked for 20 years with the Virginia Department of Health. He earned a Masters Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. from Virginia Commonwealth University.

He has been involved in Virginia politics for the last 34 years.

Wittman served on the Montross Town Council from 1986 to 1996 and as Mayor of the Town of Montross from 1992 to 1996. From 1996 to 2005, he then served on the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors, and the last two years as chairman.

Map of the 1st Congressional District

In 2005, he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, representing the 99th district. There he served on the Agricultural; Chesapeake and Natural Resources; and Police and Public Safety Committees while in the state House.

Wittman worked for 20 years with the Virginia Department of Health. 

He earned a master's degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990 and a Ph. D. from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2002.^[4] 

Wittman hold conservative values. He wants to overhaul immigration laws. He supports business tax cuts to grow small businesses and bring jobs to Virginia. He has supported preserving the environment of the Chesapeake Bay. He supports pro-life causes. He is working to bring BroadBand internet to rural homes in Virginia.He supports eradicating and replacing the ACA.

Oponent Qasim Rashid attacked Wittman’s claim to being an environmentalist, his stance on the Affordable Care Act without having a replacement and his views on immigration.