Virginia 3rd Congressional District
Akashic| Year | Margin (D minus R) |
|---|---|
| 2008 | +35.0% |
| 2012 | +38.0% |
| 2016 | +33.3% |
| 2020 | +38.1% |
| 2024 | +34.6% |
Federal officeholders only. State and local officeholders are planned for the next data pass.
U.S. House
Each result reflects the U.S. House district as it was drawn for that election; redistricting has redrawn these lines over time, so they can differ from the current 120th-Congress district shown on the map above.
| Year | District | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | D | 70.0%219,926 | 29.8%93,801 | 314,397 |
| 2022 | 3 | D | 67.2%139,659 | 32.6%67,668 | 207,850 |
| 2020 | 3 | D | 68.4%233,326 | 31.4%107,299 | 341,361 |
| 2018 | 3 | D | 91.2%198,615 | 0.0%0 | 217,722 |
| 2016 | 3 | D | 66.7%208,337 | 33.1%103,289 | 312,340 |
| 2014 | 3 | D | 94.4%139,197 | 0.0%0 | 147,402 |
| 2012 | 3 | D | 81.3%259,199 | 18.5%58,931 | 318,936 |
| 2010 | 3 | D | 70.0%114,754 | 27.2%44,553 | 163,900 |
| 2008 | 3 | D | 97.0%239,911 | 0.0%0 | 247,288 |
| 2006 | 3 | D | 96.1%133,546 | 0.0%0 | 138,994 |
| 2004 | 3 | D | 69.3%159,373 | 30.5%70,194 | 229,892 |
| 2002 | 3 | D | 96.1%87,521 | 0.0%0 | 91,073 |
| 2000 | 3 | D | 97.7%137,527 | 0.0%0 | 140,753 |
| 1998 | 3 | D | 76.0%48,129 | 0.0%0 | 63,354 |
| 1996 | 3 | D | 82.1%118,603 | 17.9%25,781 | 144,418 |
| 1994 | 3 | D | 79.4%108,532 | 20.6%28,080 | 136,620 |
| 1992 | 3 | D | 78.6%132,432 | 21.2%35,780 | 168,473 |
| 1990 | 3 | R | 30.7%36,253 | 65.3%77,125 | 118,154 |
| 1988 | 3 | R | 0.0%0 | 99.7%187,354 | 187,898 |
| 1986 | 3 | R | 29.6%32,961 | 67.0%74,525 | 111,179 |
| 1984 | 3 | R | 0.0%0 | 85.6%169,987 | 198,567 |
| 1982 | 3 | R | 40.8%63,946 | 59.2%92,928 | 156,891 |
| 1980 | 3 | R | 32.6%60,962 | 51.6%96,524 | 186,912 |
| 1978 | 3 | D | 87.7%104,550 | 0.0%0 | 119,217 |
| 1976 | 3 | D | 87.9%129,066 | 0.0%0 | 146,788 |
U.S. Senate
| Year | Won | Democratic | Republican | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | D | 54.4%2,417,115 | 45.4%2,019,911 | 4,445,535 |
| 2020 | D | 56.0%2,466,500 | 44.0%1,934,199 | 4,400,699 |
| 2018 | D | 57.1%1,910,370 | 41.1%1,374,313 | 3,346,248 |
| 2014 | D | 49.2%1,073,667 | 48.4%1,055,940 | 2,182,709 |
| 2012 | D | 53.0%2,010,067 | 47.0%1,785,542 | 3,795,609 |
| 2008 | D | 65.1%2,369,327 | 33.8%1,228,830 | 3,640,116 |
| 2006 | D | 49.6%1,175,606 | 49.3%1,166,277 | 2,367,985 |
| 2002 | R | 0.0%0 | 83.0%1,229,894 | 1,481,051 |
| 2000 | R | 47.7%1,296,093 | 52.3%1,420,460 | 2,716,553 |
| 1996 | R | 47.5%1,115,982 | 52.5%1,235,744 | 2,351,726 |
| 1994 | D | 45.6%938,376 | 42.9%882,213 | 2,056,026 |
| 1990 | R | 0.0%0 | 81.7%876,782 | 1,073,537 |
| 1988 | D | 71.3%1,474,086 | 28.7%593,652 | 2,067,738 |
| 1984 | R | 29.9%601,142 | 70.0%1,406,194 | 2,007,487 |
| 1982 | R | 48.8%690,839 | 51.2%724,571 | 1,415,410 |
| 1978 | R | 49.8%608,511 | 50.2%613,232 | 1,221,743 |
| 1976 | O | 38.3%596,009 | 0.0%0 | 1,557,346 |
Virginia's 3rd stretches from Richmond through parts of the Hampton Roads region, drawing its heavily Democratic lean from a majority-Black electorate and dense urban precincts that have delivered Democratic presidential margins above 30 points in recent cycles.
Across the recorded series it reached a Democratic high of 38.1 points in 2020. Between 2020 and 2024 the district moved 3.5 points toward the Republican candidate; the 2024 margin was 34.6 points.
A population of 779,533, a 41% non-Hispanic-white share, and a median household income of $67,878 describe the district. The district's voting pattern over the last decade is most similar to that of Congressional District 7 and Congressional District 4.
The congressional districts whose fingerprint — 2000–2024 trajectory, demographics, ancestry, religion — sits closest to this one, and why.
Twin score (0–100) = weighted cosine between tier-standardized fingerprints: presidential margins 2000–2024 with 12-yr trend and elasticity, ACS income, age, education, population and race, top reported ancestries, and religious adherence — chips name the closest-shared dimensions and the widest gap. Re-weight the groups in the twins explorer.
Compare two places, side by side
Twelve curated comparisons line up election history, demographics, and the divergence story for two places at a glance. Browse all comparisons →
Virginia 3rd Congressional District. Akashic. https://akashic.app/cd/5103/. Accessed May 20, 2026. License: CC BY 4.0.