Ex-Rep. Scott Taylor to seek old Virginia seat

Former Rep. Scott TaylorScott William TaylorLuria holds onto Virginia House seat Chamber-backed Democrats embrace endorsements in final stretch Bottom line MORE (R-Va.) will drop his challenge to Sen. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerSunday shows - Trump's reemergence, COVID-19 vaccines and variants dominate Warner: White House should 'keep open additional sanctions' against Saudi crown prince Sunday shows preview: 2024 hopefuls gather at CPAC; House passes coronavirus relief; vaccine effort continues MORE (D) and will instead run for his old seat in Congress.

 

Two sources familiar with Taylor’s thinking said he has begun making calls in recent days to Virginia Republicans to tell them of his decision. Taylor’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday morning.

 

Taylor, a former member of Virginia’s General Assembly, won election to replace Rep. Scott RigellScott RigellSpanberger's GOP challenger raises over .8 million in third quarter Ex-Rep. Scott Taylor to seek old Virginia seat GOP rushes to embrace Trump MORE (R) in 2016. Two years later, he lost his seat to Rep. Elaine LuriaElaine Goodman LuriaChamber-endorsed Dems struggle on election night Overnight Defense: How members of the Armed Services committees fared in Tuesday's elections | Military ballots among those uncounted in too-close-to-call presidential race | Ninth US service member killed by COVID-19 Luria holds onto Virginia House seat MORE (D) by 2 percentage points, or about 6,000 votes. He was one of three Virginia Republicans to lose reelection as Democrats reclaimed control of Congress.

 

Luria’s Virginia Beach–based district has been competitive in recent presidential election cycles. President TrumpDonald TrumpSacha Baron Cohen calls out 'danger of lies, hate and conspiracies' in Golden Globes speech Sorkin uses Abbie Hoffman quote to condemn Capitol violence: Democracy is 'something you do' Ex-Trump aide Pierson planning run for Congress MORE beat Democratic nominee Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonMedia circles wagons for conspiracy theorist Neera Tanden The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by The AIDS Institute - Senate ref axes minimum wage, House votes today on relief bill Democratic strategists start women-run media consulting firm MORE there by about 2.5 percentage points, and both Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyEx-Trump aide Pierson planning run for Congress Five takeaways from CPAC 2021 Trump shows he holds stranglehold on GOP, media in CPAC barnburner MORE and John McCainJohn Sidney McCainCindy McCain planning 'intimate memoir' of life with John McCain Trump-McConnell rift divides GOP donors Arkansas state senator says he's leaving Republican Party MORE carried the district narrowly in 2012 and 2008, respectively, even as Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaCPAC, all-in for Trump, is not what it used to be Americans have decided to give professionals a chance Artist behind golden Trump statue at CPAC says he made it in Mexico MORE won Virginia’s electoral votes.

 

Taylor reported raising $312,000 in the five months since announcing he would challenge Warner. He raised and spent more than $4 million during his reelection bid last year, though Luria outspent him by a slim margin.

 

Luria ended the third quarter of the year with more than $1.1 million in the bank, Federal Election Commission reports show.