WASHINGTON — Voters in the District, Maryland and Virginia choose a new House delegate for the city, a new member for Maryland’s 5th District and a U.S. senator from Virginia on Tuesday, along with every other House seat in the region.
Two of the region’s House contests are open seats. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is not seeking another term, and neither is Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), who has represented the 5th District since 1981. Both retirements leave the region’s congressional delegation with less seniority, whoever wins.
The candidates below are those certified on the House Clerk’s list of 2026 general election nominees. Poll hours and rules come from each jurisdiction’s election office.
When and where to vote
- Virginia: Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., and anyone in line at 7 p.m. may vote, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.
- Maryland: Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at each voter’s assigned polling place, and eligible residents can register and vote the same day. Mail ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 or placed in a drop box by 8 p.m., according to the Maryland State Board of Elections.
- District of Columbia: Voters can cast a ballot at any of the city’s Election Day vote centers from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and ballot drop boxes stay open until 8 p.m., according to the D.C. Board of Elections. The board says the city is using ranked-choice voting, under which voters can rank candidates in order of preference, and posts guidance on how to mark a ranked ballot.
The District: an open delegate seat
The race to succeed Norton features Robert White, the Democratic nominee; Denise Rosado, the Republican; Kymone Freeman of the D.C. Statehood Green Party; and independent David Solana. The delegate cannot cast votes on final passage of legislation on the House floor but sits on committees, introduces bills and is the District’s only voice in Congress on matters such as its budget and local laws, which Congress can review.
The Inquisitor’s earlier reporting on D.C. early and mail voting covers turnout before Election Day.
Maryland: a new member in the 5th District
In the 5th District, which runs from Prince George’s County through Southern Maryland, Democrat Adrian Boafo faces Republican Chris Chaffee for Hoyer’s seat.
The state’s incumbent Democrats in the Washington suburbs and around Annapolis are on the ballot as well:
- 3rd District: Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D) faces Republican Berney Flowers.
- 4th District: Rep. Glenn Ivey (D) faces Republican George E. McDermott and Sam Husseini of the Green Party.
- 6th District: Rep. April McClain Delaney (D) faces Republican Robin Ficker and Moshe Y. Landman of the Green Party.
- 8th District: Rep. Jamie Raskin (D) faces Republican Cheryl Riley and Nancy Wallace of the Green Party.
Maryland has no U.S. Senate race this year. Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s term runs until January 2029 and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks’ until January 2031. Readers who mailed a ballot can find the state’s deadlines in the Inquisitor’s guide to Maryland mail ballots.
Virginia: a Senate race and two closely watched House seats
Sen. Mark R. Warner (D), first elected in 2008, faces Republican Bert Mizusawa. Sen. Tim Kaine is not on the ballot; his term runs until January 2031.
In the 1st District, Rep. Rob Wittman (R) faces Democrat Shannon L. Taylor in a district that takes in Richmond suburbs and the Northern Neck. The Inquisitor’s review of Federal Election Commission filings tracked the outside spending in that race through the final weeks.
In the 7th District, Rep. Eugene Vindman (D) faces Republican Doug A. Ollivant and four others: independents Alaha Ahrar, Joshua E. Ertle and Randall A. Terry, and Libertarian Taner E. Demirci Lopez, according to the Clerk’s list.
Elsewhere in Northern Virginia:
- 8th District: Rep. Don Beyer (D) faces Republican Tony A. Sabio, Libertarian Shelly M. Arnoldi and independent Tim S. Sharman.
- 10th District: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D) faces Republican Dave T. Beckwith and independent Ahsen Mujeeb Malik.
- 11th District: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D) faces Republican Arthur G. Purves and Dianne L. Blais of the Green Party.
What happens next
Results in all three jurisdictions are unofficial on election night. Virginia and Maryland count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day if they meet each state’s postmark and receipt rules, and the District’s ranked-choice tabulation can take additional rounds when no candidate wins a majority of first choices. Each election office publishes its certification schedule on its website.
The new Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2027, when the District will have its first new delegate since 1991 and Maryland’s 5th District its first new member in more than four decades.
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