There's no district in the entire country that carries the strategic, historic, and cultural importance that Virginia’s Third Congressional District (VA-03) has. These regional lands and waters we call home, the Hampton Roads, have been at the center of paradigm shifting events in human history. The first permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere, the establishment of the first African communities in English America, the defeat of the most powerful empire, and the revolutionizing of naval engagement (twice) all happened here. The United States would never exist in its current capacity if not for the events that have unfolded here over centuries. That matters. The lives we live, the story of the United States, who we are as Americans, runs directly through the VA-03.

The Third District' includes the independent cities of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and parts of Chesapeake. Together we form the Heart of the 757.

Though compact in its present form, VA-0s has taken decades to come into its true political identity. From the end of Reconstruction to the early 1990s, racist agents in the Commonwealth used the redistricting process to deliberately "crack" Black communities along the James River into neighboring population centers to rob communities of political representation. Though nearly a fifth of Virginia's population is Black and the first Black representative was elected during reconstruction, this pillar of Jim Crow policy successfully prevented another Black person from serving in Virginia’s Congressional delegation for a century.

The Civil Rights Era changed things. The diverse coalitions lead by South Black communities forced the federal government to outlaw blatant Jim Crow policy in several foundational pieces of legislation. Among them was Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA). This law outlawed numerous election practices like poll taxes, literacy tests, and the practice of "cracking". However, words on paper do nothing to influence practice. It took the federal government nearly three decades to enforce VRA § 3 and mandate Virginia stop “cracking” the Black vote. In 1993, Black representation returned to Virginia’s congressional delegation with the election of Bobby Scott.

To no ones surprise, Virginia and other Southern states didn't immediately resort to far redistricting. When deposed of "cracking," racist agents in the Commonwealth resorted to "packing." Virginia packed virtually every the Black population center along the James River into a single district stretching from Richmond to Norfolk to “comply” with the VRA. Though Virginia finally had a Black representation in Congress, the voting power of Black people in the Commonwealth still suffered intentional dilution.

This racially gerrymandered district, a relic of the Confederacy, survived until the mid-2010s when a court finally ruled the district lines unconstitutional. This decision radically reshaped Virginia's political landscape by unpacking Black people across the Commonwealth and opening the door for more diverse representation. In the wake of this decision, Virginia elected two Black Virginians to its Congressional delegation for the first time in history. Proof that Black communities integral to the country’s Development were intentionally denied participation

With the Special Master maps in effect, Virginia's Third Congressional district takes its ultimate form: the Heart of Hampton Roads. Our waters birthed this country, the good and the bad. We must embrace our history as we chart a course forward. Our district and the Hampton Roads can, yet again, play a pivotal role in humanity's next chapter. The Hampton Roads possesses the unique skill, historical relevance, institutional knowledge, and vulnerability needed to confront The Big Three and chart a path into the unknown. Meeting the moment is our region’s legacy. When the country needs a leg up to overcome challenges, the Hampton Roads, our people, our waters, have always shown up. Now must be no different.