In Their Own Words – CD 1 Candidates

There are eight candidates registered to run for Congress in CD1, hoping to be the nominee to take on incumbent Congressman Rob Wittman. As you likely know, districts are up in the air in Virginia right now. If the redistricting referendum passes on April 21, each of these candidates will need to decide if they will run in CD1, declare for CD5, or run in another district altogether.

These candidates are working hard to earn voter support despite the uncertainty, and we want to amplify their messages so that voters can make an informed decision before the August 4 primary. Rather than waiting for the dust to settle on redistricting, Neighbors For Change invited all eight candidates to submit written answers to questions we believe will help differentiate them for our readers.

In order to give the candidates the time and space to really share their positions, we’ve allowed for longer responses and will spread them out over the next several newsletters. Today’s question serves as an introduction and focuses on campaign platform and experience.

Question 1: Describe your experience and campaign platform

Salaam Bhatti

I’m a public interest lawyer and a child of immigrants. We grew up low-income, relying on programs like WIC and free school meals to help make ends meet. I learned English by watching PBS shows like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street. When I went to law school, I served Veterans in our veterans’ clinic and saw firsthand the state of our Veterans Administration. I joined the legal aid world when I began working at the Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) and entered the public service loan forgiveness track. I fought Congressional Republicans to protect SNAP and other public benefits when I was at the Food Research and Action Center. All of these government programs have helped hundreds of millions of Americans, including me, become who we are today. Yet, these programs are getting cut.

In my time at VPLC, I learned that poverty is man-made, which means it can be solved. We made headway in Virginia when we expanded SNAP for 25,000 families, expanded free school meals for tens of thousands of students, twice increased TANF cash assistance by historic amounts, and repealed racist laws like the drug felony ban and the family cap. We also developed a screening tool that has helped over 2.5 million families unlock over $100 million in SNAP and WIC benefits. We know how these programs work and, more importantly, how they can work better.

That’s why our priorities are Medicare for All, taxing billionaires, and campaign finance reform. These priorities go to the root of the matter rather than trying to solve symptoms.

Tim Cywinski

I’m a former electoral campaign staffer and intern for U.S. Senator Tim Kaine, and I currently serve as a community organizer, policy advocate, and political communications strategist for the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. I’ve spent my career fighting alongside people who can’t afford a lobbyist or write big donation checks — taking on powerful interests to advance environmental justice, economic fairness, and access to education.

That work has shaped how I see politics: the biggest barrier to progress isn’t a lack of good ideas or available solutions — it’s a system built to deliver for the powerful over everyday people. Whether it’s rising costs, unchecked development, or communities being left out of decisions that shape their homes and futures, these challenges are a direct result of a political system that too often fails to serve the people it represents.

In short, we shouldn’t have to fight this hard for basic dignity and representation.

That’s why I’m running on The Fair Shot Agenda — a plan to reform the rules of our political and economic systems so they actually work for the people they’re supposed to serve.

That means cracking down on corruption and the influence of big money in politics, restoring real representation so policy works with communities instead of against them, and building an economy where hard work is rewarded — not one tilted toward corporate greed and insider advantage.

This campaign is rooted in a simple belief: most people are underdogs in our political system. But it’s the audacity of the underdog that has always driven progress in this country. That’s the kind of leadership I’m committed to bringing to Congress.

Elizabeth Dempsey Beggs

I’m an Army veteran, a foster parent, a mother of four young children, and a business leader. I served as one of the first women in combat arms after Congress lifted the ban, commissioning as an Armor officer and leading soldiers in high-pressure environments where trust and responsibility were not optional. After the military, my husband and I came home to Virginia to raise our family and invest in our community. Through our experience as foster parents, and as parents navigating healthcare, education, and childcare systems, I’ve seen firsthand how policy decisions affect families in real time.

I am running because too many people in this district feel unheard and left behind. Families are working harder than ever but struggling with rising costs. Rural communities are losing jobs and infrastructure. Parents are worried about their children’s future.

My campaign focuses on three priorities. First is accountability in government. That includes banning congressional stock trading and reforming campaign finance so elected officials answer to people, not corporate donors. Second is protecting rights and democratic institutions. The rule of law and equal protection under the Constitution must apply to everyone. Third is affordability. Families deserve policies that make it possible to raise children, buy homes, and build stable lives. That means investing in education, infrastructure, and economic opportunity across the district.

At the end of the day, leadership is about responsibility. I am running because I believe this community deserves a representative who shows up, listens, and fights for them every day.

Jason Knapp

My experience as a candidate is based on lived experience and lessons earned through a life of service.

I grew up on food stamps and Medicaid. My mother was nineteen when I was born — the safety net caught us — not generously, not easily, but it held. It gave her the ability to study through night school and build a career at NASA and the Naval Research Laboratory. I have two daughters, ages eight and ten. They have fewer rights today than when they were born. Those protections are being dismantled by an administration that has never needed them.

I served 21 years in the Navy as an F/A-18 combat pilot. I flew 35 missions over Iraq. I served at NATO and the Pentagon. I lost friends during the war and after. I am watching our leaders make the same mistakes that will force the current generation of military youth to carry the scars my generation was saddled with. Too many politicians put their seat before the needs of this country but I know what public service looks like from the inside — the kind that protects people, not the powerful.

My campaign is focused on lowering costs for working families, protecting healthcare, and standing up to Trump’s extremism and corruption. That means taking on healthcare profiteering, defending Social Security and Medicare, getting corporate money out of politics, and restoring accountability in Washington.

Democrats need to be honest. Too many people feel our party isn’t listening, isn’t fighting hard enough, and isn’t delivering. I’m not running to preserve the status quo.

Virginia shaped me — from Alexandria to the Pentagon, to the Northern Neck where my family has put down roots. I’m running to make sure every family here has a fair shot. And to make sure my daughters do too.

Ericka Kopp

I’m a healthcare attorney and caregiver to my husband, who is a disabled combat veteran. Advocating for healthcare is something I do every day. In the last year alone, among many other issues, we’ve seen politicians gut Medicaid, use healthcare as a bargaining chip, and decimate tens of thousands of jobs within the Department of Veterans Affairs. We’ve seen a president act without legal authority in countless ways, from imposing illegal tariffs to unconstitutionally declaring war on Iran.

And yet, Congress hasn’t done anything to stop this lawless regime. Because of this, I’m running on a platform of access and accountability through action. I believe we need to impeach all of the officials who have violated their oaths of office and then improve our society to provide greater access to all. That means access to universal healthcare, access for veterans to VA benefits and services, and protecting and expanding rights for all people.

Lewis Littlepage

It is time for America to renew its strength and vigor to meet both the domestic and international changes we face.  I propose and we need a forward-looking platform based on renewable energy, government reform, and global leadership. We need economic growth which is best achieved by expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, expanding the Child Care Tax Credit, and temporarily cutting payroll taxes. This will expand the economy by providing money for immediate spending.

We should drive job creation by restoring full expensing for capital investments, rather than depreciation. We should give targeted tax credits for manufacturing and supply chains. Small businesses should be given incentives for hiring people. This will drive job creation and increase our economy’s production.

We should strengthen American production and reduce our reliance on foreign supply chains. We can do this by expanding clean energy tax credits. We can give incentives to critical industries like semiconductors and microchips, and to the manufacturing of machinery, tools, and industrial equipment. These are the backbone of nearly all business in America. This will create long term jobs and stabilize our economy.

We can reduce our ever-rising deficit by closing tax loopholes and eliminating tax breaks for the super wealthy. I will work for federal aid to schools and assistance to struggling rural and economically depressed areas. America needs to be a world leader again in promoting alliances with other nations and in leading the world in foreign aid to nations in need.

Born and raised Hampton, Virginia. After college I entered the Air Force and held numerous leadership positions. I served for 20 years after which I graduated from law school and served over 20 years as a prosecutor.

Shannon Taylor

Shannon Taylor’s campaign indicated that they are waiting until the redistricting issue is settled after April 21st before completing questionnaires.

N4C will add her answers when they are received.

Mel Tull

I’m running for Congress to bring stability, practical leadership, and real economic progress to Virginia. I’m an Army veteran, small business owner, and business lawyer with 30 years of experience helping people solve problems, grow businesses, and create jobs. I got into this race because too many families and small businesses are being squeezed by rising costs and economic uncertainty, while Washington is focused on chaos instead of solutions.

My campaign is centered on one core goal: expanding economic opportunity for working families and small businesses. That means lowering the cost of everyday essentials like housing, healthcare, childcare, and energy—while also making it easier for people to access good-paying, stable careers.

That includes investing in public education, expanding workforce and trade training, supporting small businesses, and protecting fundamental freedoms like reproductive rights, which are essential to both personal and economic security.

This district won’t be won with politics as usual. We need a candidate who can connect with Democrats, independents, and pragmatic Republicans who want less chaos and more results.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked with people who don’t always agree—listening, finding common ground, and getting things done. That’s the approach I’ll bring to Congress: practical, collaborative, and focused on delivering real improvements in people’s lives. Let’s make government serve the people again.both houses negotiates a compromise version of the budget.

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