Donors outside Virginia have contributed more than $3.6 million to the four major-party candidates competing in the state’s hotly contested 1st and 2nd congressional districts, compared with nearly $4.2 million from Virginia, according to a VCIJ analysis of campaign finance reports.
The balance differed sharply by candidate. In the 2nd District, about 58% of Democrat Elaine Luria’s individual contribution dollars in the analyzed records came from outside Virginia, compared with 39% for incumbent Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans. In the 1st District, Democratic challenger Shannon Taylor received about 43% from beyond Virginia, compared with 38% for Republican Rep. Rob Wittman. Both races are rated toss-ups by theCook Political Report.
Together, the four campaigns reported $24 million in total receipts for the 2025–2026 cycle through Sept. 30. That broader total includes committee contributions, transfers and individual donations beyond those captured in VCIJ’s analysis of itemized individual contribution records with identifiable donor locations.
The surge of out-of-state campaign funds reflects how congressional campaigns have become increasingly national, said University of Richmond political science associate professorErnest McGowen.
“Because of the nationalization of even these House of Representatives federal races, it’s not a big deal for your money to be coming from out of state,” he said.
The Nov. 3 election comes with a growing number of closely contested races nationwide. The Senate race between Democratic Abdul El-Sayed and Republican former congressman Mike Rogers, as well as the race between James Talarico (D) and Ken Paxton (R) in Texas, have attracted particular nationwide focus.
Democrats could flip majorities in the House and Senate, driving partisan activity and donations. Virginia’s history of competitive races, especially in Hampton Roads, has long drawn national attention.
<<<<<bar chart comparing total receipts for Wittman and Taylor>>>>
In the 1st district, Wittman held a substantial financial advantage entering October. He reported $5.22 million in receipts and $2.19 million in cash on hand. Taylor reported $4.19 million in receipts and $891,310 remaining.
Taylor nevertheless brought in more individual contribution dollars from outside Virginia - $581,431 compared with Wittman’s $531,935, according to VCIJ’s analysis. A substantial portion of Taylor’s support came from California, where she raised $110,023, followed by Massachusetts and New York with more than $170,000 in combined donations. Wittman’s largest sources beyond Virginia were Florida, Texas and Washington, where he raised more than $220,000.
Virginia donors accounted for $763,156 for Taylor and $870,733 for Wittman, according to state-level data.
The candidates’ Virginia fundraising extended well beyond the district’s boundaries. Support for Wittman, who is seeking reelection for a 9th term, is concentrated in Northern Virginia. Donors in Fairfax and Arlington counties - both outside the 1st district - contributed at least $300,000 to his campaign. Taylor, the Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney since 2012, received at least $120,000 from Fairfax County and Alexandria, while her largest source was Henrico County and Richmond, where donors contributed over $250,000 to her campaign.
The money contest was much closer in the coastal District 2, which includes Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Franklin, the Eastern Shore and parts of Chesapeake and Southampton County. Luria reported $7.36 million in receipts through Sept. 30, about $124,401 more than Kiggans’ $7.24 million. Kiggans, however, had more left to spend: $1.95 million in cash on hand, compared with Luria’s $1.74 million.
Luria’s fundraising reached deeply into California, New York and Massachusetts. Those states supplied half of her $1.62 million out-of-state contributions. In comparison, she received $1.19 million from Virginia donors. Her opponent Kiggans received $1.36 million from Virginia and $861,876 from elsewhere. She drew contributions from Texas and Florida more than others.
Virginia Beach was the largest locality-level source for both candidates, supplying $549,254 to Kiggans and $370,190 to Luria, according to the itemized individual contributions records. But donors outside the district also played a substantial role. Norfolk accounted for $300,365 for Luria, more than three times the $89,661 recorded there for Kiggans. Donors from Fairfax County supplied another $140,806 to Luria, about $20,000 less than they contributed to Kiggans.
Elsewhere in Virginia, some fundraising gaps were even far wider. Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman reported $15.54 million in receipts in the 7th District, more than 41 times Republican Douglas Ollivant’s $377,922. Vindman had $5.83 million in cash on hand, compared with Ollivant’s $116,560. Vindman also has a significant national reach: about 83% of individual contributions came from outside Virginia, with California and New York topping his donor list with more than $1.2 million.
Northern Virginia’s Democratic incumbents also held large advantages. In the 8th District, Rep. Don Beyer reported $2.47 million in receipts. A third of that amount is still cash in hand through Sept. 30. Of the $44,256 total contributions received by Republican Tony Sabio, $6,205 remains. In the 10th District, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam reported $1.57 million in receipts and $646,966 in cash through Sept. 30. Republican Dave Beckwith raised $230,995 and has $56,374 left.
The largest fundraising total among Virginia’s federal candidates belonged to Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, despite a race theCook Political Report rates solidly Democratic. Warner, a three-term incumbent, reported $19.9 million in receipts during the 2025–2026 cycle and $7.53 million in cash through Sept. 30. Republican Bert Mizusawa’s figures, listed through Oct. 14, showed $1.03 million in receipts and $229,502 remaining. Warner’s cash reserve alone was more than seven times Mizusawa’s total receipts.
Warner’s donor network reached well beyond Virginia, too. The state-level data lists $2.53 million from Virginia and $3.77 million from identifiable locations elsewhere, putting his outside-Virginia share at about 60%. A substantial portion of his support is coming from New York and California, where donors have contributed nearly half of his out-of-state support. Mizusawa’s individual contributions were more concentrated at home: $193,146 from Virginia and $58,086 from other states.
McGowen said candidates have reasons to keep raising money even when they face little electoral danger. A reserve can support a later campaign or other political efforts, he said.
“Candidates either roll the money they sit on into the next campaign or transfer it to some other kind of political vehicle,” McGowen said, “Probably between the midterms and the presidential election, you're going to find a transfer of money from Warner to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, who will direct that money towards certain elections.”
For incumbent candidates raising substantial donations, McGowen, a voter behavior expert, said it might be because many voters would rather put their money behind a ‘safe’ candidate.
Data assistance from Big Local News.
Reach Kunle Falayi at kunlefalayi@vcij.org
