Virginia's 3rd congressional district


Virginia's third congressional district is a United States congressional district in the Commonwealth of Virginia, serving the independent cities of Franklin, Newport News, and Portsmouth, parts of the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Norfolk, and Suffolk, and all of the county of Isle of Wight. The current representative is Bobby Scott.

2016 redistricting

The Virginia Legislature's 2012 redistricting was found unconstitutional and replaced with a court-ordered redistricting on January 16, 2016 for the 2016 elections. One reason for the redistricting is the racial gerrymandering. From 1993 to 2016, the 3rd had covered most of the majority-black precincts in and around Hampton Roads and Richmond. The court-drawn map shifted the area near Richmond to the 4th District. The dispute over the district borders went to the U.S. Supreme Court in Wittman v. Personhuballah.

Recent election results from statewide races

Historical composition of the district

In 1788 Virginia's 3rd Congressional District consisted of all of modern Virginia including and west of the counties of Carroll, Floyd, Roanoke, Botetourt, Augusta and Rockingham. It also included what is today Pendleton County, West Virginia and also about the southern third of West Virginia which in 1788 was all Greenbrier County. This area that is today about 48 counties and 13 independent cities was in 1788 only nine counties.
In the 1790 census this area had a population of 66,045.
For the 1792 congressional elections the number of congressional districts in Virginia rose from 10 to 19. The only county that remained in the third district was Pendleton County. Harrison, Randolph, Hardy, Hampshire, Monongalia and Ohio Counties, all now in West Virginia were also in the district. This was all of northern West Virginia except the far eastern panhandle area. The new district's 1790 population was 30,145.
The 1800 Census lead to another increase in Virginia's congressional districts in 1802. The third district was again moved, this time to what was then Frederick and Shenandoah Counties in Virginia, which besides those counties also included the modern counties of Clarke, Warren and part of Page. The new 3rd district had a population of 38,767 in 1800.
For most of the time from the end of the Civil War to 1993, the 3rd District was a relatively compact district centered on Richmond.
The district's current configuration dates to 1993, when the Justice Department ordered Virginia to create a majority-minority district. At that time, portions of the old 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th districts were combined to create a new 3rd District.
As of 2016, the 3rd district has been ruled unconstitutional. The new map gave the 3rd a slight plurality of blacks.

List of members representing the district

Election results

YearDemocraticRepublicanIndependents
1970 David E. Satterfield, III: 73,104J. Harvie Wilkinson, III: 35,229Ulrich Troubetskoy: 371
1972 David E. Satterfield, III: 102,523
1974 David E. Satterfield, III: 64,627Alan Robert Ogden: 7,574
1976 David E. Satterfield, III: 129,066Alan Robert Ogden: 17,503
1978 David E. Satterfield, III: 104,550Alan Robert Ogden: 14,453
1980John A. Mapp: 60,962Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 96,524Howard H. Carwile: 19,549
1982John A. Waldrop, Jr.: 63,946Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 92,928
1984Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 169,987Roger L. Coffey: 28,556
1986Kenneth E. Powell: 32,961Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 74,525J. Stephen Bodges: 3,675
1988Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 187,354
1990James A. Starke, Jr.: 36,253Thomas J. Bliley, Jr.: 77,125Rose L. Simpson: 4,317
1992Robert C. Scott: 132,432Daniel Jenkins: 35,780
1994Robert C. Scott: 108,532Thomas E. Ward: 28,080
1996Robert C. Scott: 118,603Elsie Goodwyn Holland: 25,781
1998Robert C. Scott: 48,129R. S. Barnett: 14,453
2000Robert C. Scott: 137,527
2002Robert C. Scott: 87,521
2004Robert C. Scott: 159,373Winsome E. Sears: 70,194
2006Robert C. Scott: 133,546
2008Robert C. Scott: 239,911
2010Robert C. Scott: 114,754C. L. Smith, Jr.: 44,553John D. Kelly: 1,927
2012Robert C. Scott: 259,199Dean J. Longo: 58,931
2014Robert C. Scott: 139,197
2016Robert C. Scott': 208,337Martin L. Williams: 103,289
2018Robert C. Scott'': 198,615

Historical district boundaries