Rep. Rob Wittman of Montross, a Republican, is seeking his ninth full term as Virginia’s 1st Congressional District representative. He is being challenged by Democrat Leslie Mehta of Chesterfield.
Stopping by the Gazette-Journal offices on Main Street in Gloucester, Wittman spoke of his upbringing on the Northern Neck, where his adoptive father, a World War II veteran, was an insurance auditor and his adoptive mother a teacher. Wittman attended public schools, then graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in biology. He began a career in the Shellfish Sanitation Division of the Virginia Department of Health, traveling across coastal Virginia to inspect shellfish.
As he pursued his career, Wittman became active in his community, re-forming the local Jaycees and Boy Scouts, and was invited in 1984 to be a member of the local planning commission. Two years later, he won a seat on the town council and served 10 years, four as mayor, before being elected to the Westmoreland County Board o...