Virginia's 11th congressional district (from 2023)

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

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

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 are ...

. The district stretches from Herndon to Quantico, comprising most of

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...

, all of the City of Fairfax, as well as part of eastern Prince William County. The district is represented by Democrat

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 cou ...

. ''

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'' 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 Jacob Beeson Blair (April 11, 1821 – February 12, 1901) was a U.S. Representative from Virginia and from West Virginia, and later a justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court. Life and career Born in Parkersburg, West Virginia (then Virginia), Blai ...

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 ...

. 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 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, he ...

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 Virgi ...

and Democratic Senator Jim Webb 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 (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

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 te ...

. Democrat Leslie L. Byrne 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 serving ...

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 distri ...

covered more urban areas in Northern Virginia to favor the

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an 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 seeking re-ele ...

, 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