Federal

U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 4
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives votes on federal laws, taxes and spending on behalf of the district.

Localities in the district (all or part): City of Chesapeake, City of Hampton, City of Newport News, City of Norfolk, City of Portsmouth.

Candidates Compare by issue

Edwin Rivera, Jr.

Republican

Retired U.S. Army veteran; former police officer

The gist

Opposes tolls on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Supports raising teacher pay and renovating failing schools.
Supports expanding school resource officer roles and police funding.
Proposes tax credits for small businesses.
Supports an all-of-the-above energy platform including nuclear.
Proposes more immigration judges and green card process fixes.
Proposes expanded VA preventive care for two-enlistment veterans.

More about Edwin

View sources (1)

Opposes tolls on the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“Toll Capping / oppose tolls on HRBT.”
Supports raising teacher pay and renovating failing schools.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“Raise teacher pay. Renovate/rebuild failing schools.”
Supports expanding school resource officer roles and police funding.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“Increase and support(fully fund) law enforcement and community based programs”
Proposes tax credits for small businesses.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“Tax credits for small businesses”
Supports an all-of-the-above energy platform including nuclear.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“Edwin support an all-of-the above energy platform.”
Proposes more immigration judges and green card process fixes.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“Increase the number of Immigration Judges. Fix green card process.”
Proposes expanded VA preventive care for two-enlistment veterans.
Issues — Edwin Rivera for Congress
Campaign website · Edwin Rivera for Congress · edwinriveraforcongress.com
“all veterans preventative care basic Healthcare for veterans of two or more enlistments”

Makiba A. Gaines

Independent

Civil rights attorney · Chesapeake

The gist

Supports increasing Social Security benefits.
Proposes redirecting government waste savings to needed programs.
Proposes more funding for community crime-prevention programs.
Supports regulating social media providers.
Supports data center moratoriums where needed.
Proposes federal funding for flood mitigation and living shorelines.
Supports drug price transparency and competition.

More about Makiba

View sources (2)

Supports increasing Social Security benefits.
Vision — Makiba Gaines for Congress
Campaign website · Makiba Gaines for Congress · makibagaines4congress.com
“We must increase Social Security benefits for our senior citizens and our disabled fellow-citizens who rely on our support.”
Proposes redirecting government waste savings to needed programs.
Vision — Makiba Gaines for Congress
Campaign website · Makiba Gaines for Congress · makibagaines4congress.com
“reducing government waste and redistributing those funds to other necessary programs”
Proposes more funding for community crime-prevention programs.
Vision — Makiba Gaines for Congress
Campaign website · Makiba Gaines for Congress · makibagaines4congress.com
“I intend to increase funding to community programs to establish strong partnerships with Americans who want to create change”
Supports regulating social media providers.
Vision — Makiba Gaines for Congress
Campaign website · Makiba Gaines for Congress · makibagaines4congress.com
“Social media has to be regulated, and we have to redirect power from billionaires back to the people.”
Supports data center moratoriums where needed.
Meet the candidates: Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press · yahoo.com
“I support data center moratoriums where needed.”
Proposes federal funding for flood mitigation and living shorelines.
Meet the candidates: Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press · yahoo.com
“I'll fight in Washington for the funding to restore wetlands, expand living shorelines, upgrade drainage and pumping”
Supports drug price transparency and competition.
Meet the candidates: Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press · yahoo.com
“I'll fight for price transparency, real competition and expanded access to affordable prescription drugs”

Stephen C. Woll

Independent

Retired Navy officer; business consultant

The gist

Supports balancing the federal budget.
Supports banning congressional stock trading and political betting.
Supports universal access to basic health care.
Proposes a deferred path to legal status for undocumented immigrants.
Opposes blanket tariffs; supports free trade with exceptions.
Supports repealing Section 230 for social media companies.
Proposes requiring data centers to supply their own energy.
Supports raising the federal minimum wage.

More about Stephen

View sources (2)

Supports balancing the federal budget.
Issues — Steve Woll for Congress
Campaign website · Steve Woll for Congress · stevewoll.com
“Balance the budget. $113,000 in national debt per person (rising at $5000 per year) is malpractice and unsustainable”
Supports banning congressional stock trading and political betting.
Issues — Steve Woll for Congress
Campaign website · Steve Woll for Congress · stevewoll.com
“Ban congressional and executive branch stock trading and political betting markets”
Supports universal access to basic health care.
Issues — Steve Woll for Congress
Campaign website · Steve Woll for Congress · stevewoll.com
“Universal access to basic health care. Other peer nations have solved this - we need to.”
Proposes a deferred path to legal status for undocumented immigrants.
Issues — Steve Woll for Congress
Campaign website · Steve Woll for Congress · stevewoll.com
“Provide a deferred but clear path to legal status for undocumented immigrants already in the country”
Opposes blanket tariffs; supports free trade with exceptions.
Issues — Steve Woll for Congress
Campaign website · Steve Woll for Congress · stevewoll.com
“Support free trade with targeted, conditions-driven exceptions, not blanket tariffs that hurt American families most”
Supports repealing Section 230 for social media companies.
Issues — Steve Woll for Congress
Campaign website · Steve Woll for Congress · stevewoll.com
“Repeal Section 230 - social media companies must be held accountable for the negative impacts they have on our children and society at large”
Proposes requiring data centers to supply their own energy.
Meet the candidates: Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press · yahoo.com
“they must bring their own energy sources or arrange for a separate energy supply”
Supports raising the federal minimum wage.
Meet the candidates: Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District
Candidate questionnaire · The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press · yahoo.com
“increase the federal minimum wage, which has not been adjusted since 2009”

Robert C. "Bobby" Scott

DemocraticIncumbent

U.S. Representative · Newport News

The gist

Sponsored bill raising the federal minimum wage to $17.
Authored the PRO Act to strengthen union organizing rights.
Co-authored the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Supported the Affordable Care Act and Inflation Reduction Act.
Sponsored the Fair Sentencing Act; opposed the 1994 Crime Bill.
Secured $400 million for Norfolk coastal storm protection.
Sponsored the House version of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

More about Robert

View sources (3)

Sponsored bill raising the federal minimum wage to $17.
The Scott Record — Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“He has sponsored the Raise the Wage Act to gradually increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $17 an hour”
Authored the PRO Act to strengthen union organizing rights.
Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“the PRO Act to protect and strengthen the rights of workers to organize and join a union”
Co-authored the Every Student Succeeds Act.
The Scott Record — Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“Congressman Scott was one of the four lead authors of the Every Student Succeeds Act”
Supported the Affordable Care Act and Inflation Reduction Act.
The Scott Record — Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“Congressman Scott has been a strong advocate and supporter of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act”
Sponsored the Fair Sentencing Act; opposed the 1994 Crime Bill.
The Scott Record — Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“he was the House-sponsor and helped lead House passage of the Fair Sentencing Act”
Secured $400 million for Norfolk coastal storm protection.
The Scott Record — Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“Congressman Scott helped secure $400 million for the Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project”
Sponsored the House version of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
About Bobby — Bobby Scott for Congress
Campaign website · Bobby Scott for Congress · bobbyscottforcongress.com
“He sponsored the House version of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which was signed into law by President Bush in 2008”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 9 issues covered in this race.