Virginia's 10th Congressional District elections, 2014

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Virginia's 10th Congressional District

General Election Date November 4, 2014

Primary Date No primary, due to Republican Firehouse primary and Democratic nominating convention

November 4 Election Winner: Barbara Comstock

Incumbent prior to election: Frank Wolf

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Lean Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean R

Virginia U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11

2014 U.S. Senate Elections

2014 U.S. House Elections

The 10th Congressional District of Virginia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Virginia state delegate Barbara Comstock (R) defeated Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust (D), Bill Redpath (L), Dianne Blais (G) and Brad Eickholt (I) in the general election to win retiring Republican Rep. Frank Wolf's long-held seat.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
March 27, 2014	No primary	November 4, 2014

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Virginia utilizes an open primary process in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Voter registration: Voters had to register to vote in the primary by February 10, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 14, 2014 (22 days before election).

See also: Virginia elections, 2014

Incumbent: The incumbent, Frank Wolf (R), did not seek re-election in 2014. He was first elected in 1980.

Virginia's 10th Congressional District is located in the northern portion of the state and includes Clarke, Frederick, and Loudoun counties as well as Manassas Park city, Manassas city, and Winchester city. Portions of Fairfax and Prince William counties are also included in the district.

Candidates

General election candidates

• John Foust
• Barbara Comstocka
• Bill Redpath
• Dianne Blais
• Brad Eickholt

April 26, 2014, Republican primary results

• Barbara Comstocka
• Rob Wasinger: Former congressional aide
• Marc Savitt: President of the National Association of Independent Housing Professionals
• Howie Lind: Former Pentagon official and lobbyist
• Stephen Hollingshead: Former official in the administration of President George W. Bush
• Bob Marshall: State Delegate

Failed to file

• Tareq Salahi
• Joseph Schmidt
• Scott Weible
• Richard Shickle: Chairman of the Frederick County Board of Supervisors

Withdrew from race

• Richard Bolger
• Sam Kubba

Declined to run

• Artur Davis
• Richard Black

Election results

General election

U.S. House, Virginia District 10 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Foust	40.4%	89,957
	Republican	Barbara Comstock	56.5%	125,914
	Libertarian	Bill Redpath	1.5%	3,393
	Green	Dianne Blais	0.4%	946
	Independent	Brad Eickholt	1.1%	2,442
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	258
Total Votes				222,910
Source: Virginia Department of Elections

Republican firehouse primary results

Barbara Comstock defeated Rob Wasinger, Marc Savitt, Howie Lind, Stephen Hollingshead and Bob Marshall in the firehouse primary held April 26, 2014. She will face John Foust in the general election November 4, 2014.

Comstock said, “It is an honor and a privilege to win my party’s nomination for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District and follow in the footsteps of my mentor, Congressman Frank Wolf. Now is the time for all Republicans to unite and pool our resources together to defend this seat from Nancy Pelosi’s hand-picked candidate.”

The Republican Party of Virginia’s Plan of Organization states that candidates for office can be selected by mass meetings, party canvasses, conventions or primaries. On January 23, 2014, party officials voted for a party canvass, also known as a "firehouse primary," because “it will allow their nominee to get an early start. Had they opted for a state-run primary, it would not have been held until June 10.”

Although Virginia does not require citizens to declare a party when registering to vote, those who voted in Virginia’s 10th District firehouse primary were required to sign a Statement of Intent acknowledging their intent to vote for the Republican nominee in the 2014 general election. Firehouse primaries are held by the Republican Party of Virginia, not the Virginia State Board of Elections.

U.S. House, Virginia District 10 Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Barbara Comstock	53.9%	7,337
Bob Marshall	28.1%	3,829
Howie Lind	8.1%	1,108
Stephen Hollingshead	6%	816
Rob Wasinger	2.2%	301
Marc Savitt	1.6%	218
Total Votes		13,609
Source: VAGOP10.org, "Recapping the 2014 Party Canvass," accessed July 1, 2014

Democratic convention canceled

On March 17, 2014, the Tenth Congressional District Democratic Committee gave John Foust the Democratic nomination. Because Foust was the only candidate to file for the nomination, the committee canceled its April 26 convention. After receiving the nomination Foust said, "I am very grateful for the support I’m receiving across the district. I believe we’re unified because we represent the concerns and priorities of the residents of the 10th district, and I look forward to continuing the campaign through November and having a discussion on the issues with whomever the Republican nominee is."

Campaign themes

Barbara Comstock

Comstock listed the following priorities on her website:

“	AS YOUR CONGRESSWOMAN, I WILL . . . Work to repeal and replace ObamaCare which already has caused millions of hardworking Americans to lose their health insurance and have their wellbeing and financial health threatened. Pass meaningful tax relief for families and small businesses to keep more of your hard earned dollars in your hands and encourage job creation in Northern Virginia. Protect our national security and protect our defense and national security infrastructure as well as the salaries and retirement of our dedicated military Protect the U.S. Constitution and stand up for our shared common sense conservative values.	”
—Barbara Comstock, https://web.archive.org/web/20141103191331/http://www.barbaracomstockforcongress.com/issues/

John Foust

Foust listed the following priorities on his website:

“	Jobs & the Economy John will advocate for policies that expand the middle class by creating jobs and opportunities. He will work to end partisan gridlock that creates uncertainty in the economy and hampers expansion and growth. As Chairman of the County’s economic Advisory Commission, he has led the effort to plan and implement strategies for economic growth. He supports investments in job creators like education, infrastructure, and research and development. In Congress, he will continue his work to keep Northern Virginia’s economy strong and growing. Education John believes that education is the key to creating opportunity in the innovative global economy of the 21st century. He is a strong advocate for expanding early childhood education, improving K-12 education, making college more affordable for everyone, and expanding training programs that are designed to match available jobs with a qualified and well-trained workforce. Budget As Vice chair of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget Committee, John has cut costs and made government more efficient. Even in the most challenging times, he has helped develop balanced budgets that protect essential services and invest in the future, like funding full day kindergarten. John will use this experience and expertise to address our fiscal challenges by identifying priorities and advocating for a comprehensive plan that funds those priorities while reducing the deficit. Transportation Congestion is a threat to our quality of life and our ability to attract and retain businesses that provide good jobs. At the county level, John has successfully advocated for and delivered many significant road, transit and pedestrian projects. He will work to ensure the federal government does more to improve our economy and the quality of life for Northern Virginians by providing funding and financing assistance for major transportation improvements in the region. Environment John served for many years on the citizen council that advises Fairfax County government on environmental issues. He will work to ensure that our children and future generations have clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and a future that is not overshadowed by the threat of climate change. John has worked to protect the natural beauty and unique historical heritage in our region. In Congress, he will continue to advocate for preservation efforts. Federal Workers The recent government shutdown demonstrated the value of our federal employees and contractors. As a Congressman from Northern Virginia, John believes he will have a special responsibility to ensure that our federal work force and retirees are respected for the important work they do and that they are treated fairly. Military and Veterans John will work to ensure that the promises we made to our men and women in uniform are honored. He understands that Congress faces tough choices, but he also understands that commitments made to our military and veterans should not be broken. Immigration John believes in immigration reform that secures our borders and addresses in a practical and compassionate way the issue of millions of undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States. He believes our immigration laws should reflect our nation’s values as an open and inclusive society and allow us to take advantage of everyone’s talents and contributions. Women's Health John is pro-choice. He believes a woman should have the right to make her own health care decisions in consultation with her doctor. He will fight against efforts to dictate personal medical choices and attempts to place limitations on a woman’s health care options. Equality John will work to ensure that our laws reflect a society that rejects discrimination in any form. He will work to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work and that all workers are protected against discrimination. He supports marriage equality and is pleased with the progress our country is making on that cause. Constituent Services John believes that a fundamental responsibility of any elected official is to provide outstanding services to his or her constituents. As a county Supervisor, he and his staff are recognized for the excellent services they provide. In Congress, he will continue the tradition of excellent constituent services that the residents of the 10th Congressional District expect and deserve. Healthcare Over the past twenty years, insurance companies hiked health insurance premiums and gouged consumers. The cost of health care outpaced the ability of many to afford it. Forty million Americans went uninsured. Insurance companies denied care to those with preexisting conditions, charged women more than men, and refused coverage to those who needed it most when lifetime limits were reached. This was not sustainable and something had to be done. Though less than perfect, John believes the Affordable Care Act begins to address these and other challenges with our health care system. We cannot go back to the days when insurance companies could arbitrarily increase rates and deny coverage.	”
—John Foust, https://web.archive.org/web/20141103190658/http://foustforvirginia.com/priorities/

Race background

Wolf retirement

On December 13, 2013, Wolf announced his retirement. He delivered the following remarks: “I have decided not to seek re-election to the U.S. Congress in 2014. It has been an honor to serve the people of northern Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. I thank my constituents for giving me the privilege of representing them in Congress for 34 years. As a follower of Jesus, I am called to work for justice and reconciliation, and to be an advocate for those who cannot speak for themselves. I plan to focus my future work on human rights and religious freedom – both domestic and international – as well as matters of the culture and the American family. My passion for these issues has been influenced by the examples of President Ronald Reagan, former Congressmen Jack Kemp and Tony Hall, Chuck Colson, and the life of 18th century Member of Parliament William Wilberforce. I want to thank the many excellent former and current members of my staff who have helped me serve the people of the 10th District. I am also grateful to my wife, Carolyn, and my family, who have faithfully stood by me all these many years.”

Open house seat

Hailing from the nation’s 10th wealthiest congressional district, Comstock and Foust were well-funded candidates. According to Roll Call, this was expected to be one of the most expensive midterm races. The Rothenberg Political Report rated this race as "Lean Republican," although this race could have gone to either party. Mitt Romney won the 10th district in 2012, while Terry McAuliffe (D) won the district in the 2013 governor’s race, making this a close to even district. According to The Washington Post, "Winning the 10th won’t be easy because the district isn’t what it used to be, because the people aren’t quite sure what they want, and because what they do know and agree on is that the politicians don’t get it.”

"Real job"

In an attempt to tie Comstock to lobbyists and the rich, Foust said, "In her mind, that (creating jobs) means giving tax benefits to special interests and the super wealthy. I don’t think she’s even had a real job.”

Comstock's campaign manager, Susan Falconer, said, “This desperate attack shows how out of touch he is with who it is that lives and works in the 10th District and the challenges that working women, working moms and moms at home face every day by men who demean their many and demanding roles."

Foust said he was making the point that Comstock would not be a good job creator. He said, "The statement was in that context.”

DCCC

According to Roll Call, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee planned to spend $2.8 million in support of Foust's campaign, but instead they spent the money in California's 7th Congressional District instead.

Polls

General Election
Poll	Barbara Comstock	John Foust	Diane Blais	Bill Redpath	Bill Eickholt	Undecided	Other	Refused	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Citizens United Political Victory Fund October 17-18, 2014	51%	35%	2%	1%	1%	8%	1%	1%	+/-4.9	404
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

General Election
Poll	Barbara Comstock	John Foust	Other	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
The Tarrance Group September 23-25, 2014	46%	34%	7%	14%	+/-4.9	403
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

GOP Primary
Poll	Barbara Comstock	Bob Marshall	Stephen Hollingshead	Howie Lind	Marc Savitt	Rob Wasinger	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Citizen's United Political Victory Fund April 4–5, 2014	44%	10%	3%	3%	1%	3%	30%	+/-4.9	402
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Media

Barbara Comstock

Comstock for Congress, "Trusted Aide Web Ad."

Comstock for Congress, "Trusted Aide TV Ad."

Comstock for Congress, "Right Choice."

Comstock for Congress, "Leadership, Action, Results."

Comstock for Congress, "Taxman."

John Foust

John Foust for Congress, "Waste."

John Foust for Congress, "Head Shake."

John Foust for Congress, "Hid."

Howie Lind

Howie Lind's March 2014 ad, "Take a Stand."

• Howie Lind (R) released, "Take a Stand," on March 6, 2014. The narrator in the ad said, “Howie Lind for Congress...Because it’s not about whose turn it is, but who’s going to stand up for us.”

Endorsements

Barbara Comstock

• Conservative commentator Sean Hannity endorsed Barbara Comstock on April 10, 2014.
  • "Barbara Comstock is a solid and reliable conservative. I've known her for many years. She'd make a great member of Congress. I am happy to join other conservatives and proudly endorse her candidacy," said Hannity.

Comstock was also endorsed by the following:

• Rep. Paul Ryan
• Mitt Romney
• Conservative radio host Mark Levin
• Former Governor of Virginia George Allen
• Leadership Institute president Morton Blackwell
• Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and Callista Gingrich
• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor
• UN Ambassador John Bolton
• Former Ambassador to the Holy See Jim Nicholson
• Senator Fred Thompson
• Senator Rick Santorum
• Brent Bozell, Founder and President of the Media Research Center
• Penny Nance, President Concerned Women for America
• Jane Abraham, President Susan B. Anthony List
• Citizen’s United Political Victory Fund
• American Conservative Union
• VIEW (Value In Electing Women) PAC
• GOPAC
• Associated Builders and Contractors
• RightNOW Women PAC
• Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity

John Foust

Foust listed the following endorsements on his campaign website:

• Congressman Jim Moran
• Lt. Governor Ralph Northam
• Dick Saslaw - Virginia State Senate Democratic Leader

Bob Marshall

• Phyllis Schlafly endorsed Bob Marshall (R) on March 31, 2014.
• Former Rep. Robert Dornan endorsed Bob Marshall on April 7, 2014.
  • "Bob Marshall is a rare triple threat to liberals and Democrats in that he is a powerhouse in all three areas that President Reagan said 'a true conservative' must lead: social issues, economic policy, and defense. Bob's knowledge and expertise in these areas, the Reagan triad, is almost unmatched… equaled by a few good men and women in politics, but NEVER surpassed," said Dornan.

Campaign contributions

Barbara Comstock

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Comstock's reports.

Barbara Comstock (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Pre-Convention Report	April 14, 2014	$0.00	$761,354.23	$(241,323.98)	$520,030.25
July Quarterly	July 15, 2014	$520,030.25	$610,797.62	$(554,937.35)	$575,890.52
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$575,890.52	$1,300,412.84	$(1,075,722.43)	$800,580.93
			Running totals
			$2,672,564.69	$(1,871,983.76)

John Foust

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Foust's reports.

John Foust (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Year End	January 31, 2014	$0	$217,486	$(7,492)	$209,994
April Quarterly	April 14, 2014	$0	$558,274.39	$(141,724.00)	$626,544.45
July Quarterly	September 19, 2014	$626,544.45	$573,036.72	$(62,404.47)	$1,125,718.40
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$1,125,718.40	$1,008,833.03	$(1,492,681.95)	$641,869.48
			Running totals
			$2,357,630.14	$(1,704,302.42)

Richard Bolger

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Bolger's reports.

Richard Bolger (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$0.00	$75,808.78	$(24,728.58)	$51,080.20
Year End	January 31, 2014	$51,080	$30,136	$(34,488)	$42,374
			Running totals
			$105,944.78	$(59,216.58)

Frank Wolf

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Wolf's reports.

Frank Wolf (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 14, 2013	$187,089.04	$46,331.76	$(25,737.04)	$207,683.76
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$207,683.76	$127,172.07	$(64,893.48)	$269,962.35
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$269,962.35	$38,996.65	$(24,187.61)	$284,771.39
Year-end	January 31, 2014	$284,771	$18,502	$(38,059)	$265,214
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$265,214.13	$180.78	$(63,462.04)	$201,932.87
			Running totals
			$231,183.26	$(216,339.17)

District history

Candidate ballot access
Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

2012

The 10th Congressional District of Virginia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Incumbent Frank Wolf won re-election in the district.

U.S. House, Virginia District 10 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kristin Cabral	38.8%	142,024
	Republican	Frank Wolf Incumbent	58.4%	214,038
	Independent	Kevin Chisholm	2.7%	9,855
	Write-In	N/A	0.1%	527
Total Votes				366,444
Source: Virginia State Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

2010

On November 2, 2010, Frank Wolf won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Jeffery R. Barnett (D) and William B. Redpath (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Virginia District 10 General Election, 2010
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Frank Wolf incumbent	62.9%	131,116
	Democratic	Jeffery R. Barnett	34.8%	72,604
	Libertarian	William B. Redpath	2.2%	4,607
	N/A	Write-in	0.1%	229
Total Votes				208,556

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2014
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
• United States Senate elections in Virginia, 2014
• Virginia elections, 2014
• List of U.S. Congress incumbents not running for re-election in 2014
• Frank Wolf
• Barbara Comstock
• John Foust
• Bill Redpath
• Virginia elections, 2014

External links

• Virginia State Board of Elections

Footnotes

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Virginia's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tim Kaine (D)

Mark Warner (D)

Representatives

District 1

Rob Wittman (R)

District 2

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

District 3

Bobby Scott (D)

District 4

Jennifer McClellan (D)

District 5

John McGuire (R)

District 6

Benjamin Lee Cline (R)

District 7

Eugene Vindman (D)

District 8

Donald Sternoff Beyer (D)

District 9

H. Morgan Griffith (R)

District 10

Suhas Subramanyam (D)

District 11

James Walkinshaw (D)

Democratic Party (8)

Republican Party (5)