Rep. Bobby Scott has represented Virginia's 3rd Congressional District since 1993, and this fall the 79-year-old Democrat is asking voters for another term against three challengers who all say three decades is long enough. Republican Edwin Rivera, an Army combat veteran who has never held public office, and independents Makiba Gaines, a 42-year-old civil rights attorney, and Stephen Woll, a 64-year-old Navy veteran from Norfolk, are each making the case that Hampton Roads needs a change in leadership.
The district stretches across Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton and parts of Chesapeake, according to The Virginian-Pilot. It's heavily Democratic territory — voters there have backed Democratic candidates by at least 60% in statewide and federal elections since 2016, and supported Abigail Spanberger by roughly 72% in last year's gubernatorial race, per Virginia Public Access Project data cited in the same report. Scott, a Newport News native, said he believes he's the only candidate qualified to repair government systems he says have been damaged by the Trump administration.
Scott Points To Committee Work And Trump-Era Fallout
Scott, the ranking member of the U.S. House Education and Workforce Committee, has sponsored a measure to restore Pell Grant funding to incarcerated people and says he's obtained funding for prison education programs and the local Boys & Girls Club. He told the newspaper that during the past three years of Republican House control, he introduced legislation aimed at expanding child care access and lowering health care costs.
He attributes many of the region's current problems to Trump administration actions, including the Iran war, tariffs and last year's omnibus bill, which he says cut funding for services such as Medicaid. Scott called corruption within the administration “totally unprecedented” and said the administration's policies have produced specific, identifiable results that he intends to focus on reversing. He added that he would leave investigations to other congressional committees, and said organizing Democrats around health care or Social Security has always been a challenge. Scott plans to keep focusing on the Education and Workforce Committee, which he previously led, and said he supports policies that help Hampton Roads residents by reducing costs, including drug costs and child care expenses.
Rivera Pitches Tax Cuts For Young Virginians, Draws Scrutiny For Comments On Muslims
Rivera, an Army veteran who served several combat tours in the Middle East and is a father of seven, lists education reform, transportation and health care access as his top issues, according to a voter guide from Virginia Mercury. He's proposed eliminating all taxes for people under 18 and for full-time college and trade school students, and supports expanding trade school opportunities across the region.
Rivera argued that voters shouldn't blame Republicans for rising costs, pointing instead to Democratic leadership in the district, and said Virginians want personal accountability and transparency about where their tax money goes. He also condemned the rise of progressive candidates within the Democratic Party and said Scott should denounce candidates who advocate socialism. Referencing the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Rivera said Muslims were conspiring to take over local governments; the report notes he did not provide specific examples of constitutional attacks by Muslims either federally or within the 3rd District.
Independents Woll And Gaines Stake Out Middle Ground And Progressive Lanes
Woll, who describes himself as a centrist independent, said he could work with both parties on bipartisan legislation that benefits Virginians. He opposes abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and danger to the mother, and criticized Republicans who backed the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency cuts.
Gaines, meanwhile, supports unions and expanding Medicare, and said her experience negotiating with and holding large companies accountable would serve her well in Congress. Neither Rivera nor Scott responded to the newspaper's candidate questionnaire before its publication deadline, the outlet reported.
Fundraising Gap And Voting Timeline
Campaign finance figures tell a lopsided story so far: Scott has raised more than $880,000 through Oct. 14, 2026, according to Federal Election Commission data cited by the paper, compared with roughly $67,000 for Woll and $15,000 for Rivera. Gaines did not report raising campaign funds, per the same data. The Federal Election Commission also maintains a public campaign-finance page for the race, available through FEC.gov.
Early voting is already underway and runs through Oct. 31, with Election Day falling on Nov. 3. Hampton Roads voters now have just days left to weigh whether three decades of Scott in Congress should continue, or whether one of his three challengers deserves a shot at the seat.
