The Virginia First District started in 1788 covering the counties of
Berkeley,
Frederick,
Hampshire,
Hardy,
Harrison,
Monongalia,
Ohio,
Randolph and
Shenandoah. Of these only Shenandoah and Frederick Counties are in Virginia today; the rest are now part of
West Virginia. The modern counties of
Clarke,
Warren and most of
Page as well as the independent city of
Winchester were included as part of Frederick and Shenandoah counties in 1788. In West Virginia all the current state north and east of a generalized line running from
Wood County to
Pocahontas County was in the congressional district. The one exception was that
Pendleton County, West Virginia was in
Virginia's 3rd congressional district. In the redistribution which followed the 1850 census (in force 1853–1863), the First District comprised sixteen counties in eastern Virginia. The counties included (amongst others)
Accomack,
Essex,
Gloucester,
James City,
King and Queen,
Mathews,
Middlesex,
New Kent,
Richmond,
Warwick and
Westmoreland. In an 1862 Union special election three out of the sixteen counties in the Union district supplied returns. The First District is noted for its strong presence of military institutions, including the
Naval Surface Warfare Center. Increasing numbers of military and retired voters have swung the district to the right. == Recent election results==