The U.S. House of Representatives is one of two chambers of Congress (the other is the Senate). The powers of the House of Representatives are outlined in the Constitution. Here is an explanation of what those powers are. Representatives are elected for two years. There are 435 districts in the House, of which Virginia has 11.  

Virginia’s Congressional District 5 includes Charlottesville, parts of Albemarle County, Louisa County, Fluvanna County, Buckingham County and many others as it reaches all the way down to the North Carolina border. This year, it is the only district in the state holding both Republican and Democratic primaries. 

In the Republican primary, John McGuire III is running for his second term. He is challenged by first-time candidate Melanie V. Lucero. 

Charlottesville Tomorrow designed a questionnaire for the candidates based on responses we received from our voter survey. 

Only Lucero responded. We made multiple attempts to contact McGuire via phone, email and Facebook and were able to speak with campaign staff. However, McGuire had not submitted a response as of Tuesday, June 30. We will continue to update our Voter Guide as we receive responses from candidates.

Housing costs: Many 5th District voters who responded to our voter survey expressed concerns about how home prices and rents have risen significantly across central Virginia. What do you believe is the federal government’s responsibility, if any, when housing becomes unaffordable for working families?

Melanie Lucero: Housing affordability is a real problem across the 5th District. As a real estate professional, I see firsthand how rising home prices, rents, insurance costs, taxes, and interest rates impact working families.

Federal, state, and local leaders must work together because housing costs are influenced by policies at every level of government. I support efforts by HUD Secretary Scott Turner to reduce unnecessary regulations and lower the cost of housing.*

I will also work to eliminate capital gains tax policies that have not kept pace with today’s housing market.** Americans should not be penalized for selling property that has appreciated over decades, and reducing this burden can help free up inventory and create more opportunities for young Americans and first-time homebuyers.

The reality is that Washington has been part of the problem for decades. More government is not the answer. The answer is less government, lower taxes, fewer regulations, and getting Washington out of the way.

Editor’s notes

*Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner was confirmed by the Senate in February 2025. Among other initiatives, Turner has proposed selling federal land to local governments and developers for affordable housing construction, particularly in rural areas. Read more about the proposal in this April 2026 article from Re:public, a nonprofit news organization covering policy related to public land. Turner has also provided guidelines for state and local governments to streamline housing construction. Read Turner’s statement on President Trump’s FY2027 budget here.

**Individuals and corporations pay capital gains taxes when selling investments, including homes and real estate. Some organizations, including the Cato Institute, a nonprofit public policy research organization that promotes libertarian ideas, argue that lowering or eliminating capital gains taxes may increase housing supply, as it would encourage homeowners to sell housing without a tax penalty. Under current regulations, 95% of all households would not owe federal capital gains tax on a home sale, and housing capital gains taxes “are overwhelmingly held by households with high incomes and substantial wealth,” according to research from the Brookings Institute, a nonprofit policy research group. The Congressional Research Service’s 2025 report on excluding capital gains tax can be found here. 

John McGuire: Did not respond.

Data centers and energy: Data centers are expanding rapidly across Virginia, raising concerns about electric bills, water use and the need for new energy infrastructure. What role, if any, should the federal government play in addressing those concerns?

Lucero: Data center approvals, zoning, and community impacts are primarily local and state issues,* and those decisions remain with the communities most affected.

At the federal level, my responsibility is to ensure abuse does not occur. If data centers require major investments in infrastructure, taxpayers and working families should not be left holding the bill while private companies reap the benefits. We need transparency, accountability, and policies that protect both the communities where these projects are built and the ratepayers who could otherwise face unnecessary cost increases.

Editor’s notes

*Virginia does not have statewide zoning regulations on data centers, leaving localities to create their own zoning regulations. However, Virginia’s new two-year budget, finalized Monday, June 29, introduces some regulations for data centers regarding water usage, noise levels, and an electricity consumption tax of $0.11 per kilowatt hour, according to reporting from Virginia Mercury.

McGuire: Did not respond.

Immigration: Some employers in agriculture, hospitality and other industries say they rely on immigrant workers, while some voters support stricter immigration enforcement. How should the nation’s immigration system address both of those concerns?

Lucero: I support the America First agenda* alongside President Trump. Our immigration system has been broken for decades, and Americans have paid the price through strained public services, lower wages in some sectors, and threats to public safety.**

The first responsibility of government is to secure the border and enforce our laws. We can address legitimate workforce needs through legal, controlled immigration and work visa programs, but illegal immigration cannot be tolerated. America must remain a nation of laws, with policies that put American workers, taxpayers, and communities first.

Editor’s notes

*This refers to President Trump’s “America First” priorities, which outlined the Trump administration’s policy agenda in several areas including immigration, trade, energy and national security. It included large domestic deportation operations, tariffs on U.S. trade partners, funding cuts for U.S. aid to other countries and a rollback of climate protection policies. You can read more about some of these areas in this article from the Council on Foreign Relations. 

**Immigrants generally contribute more in taxes than they receive in public benefits according to research from several organizations, including the Cato Institute, a nonprofit policy research group that promotes libertarian ideas, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan tax policy research organization and the U.S. Social Security Administration. (You can learn more about who is eligible for public benefits in this explainer from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.) However, in 2023 the Congressional Budget Report analyzed the impact of the 2021-2023 surge in immigration on state and local budgets and found a net cost, primarily from public education costs, shelter, and border security. 

Some economists, such as Giovanni Peri at the University of California, have found that immigration has little effect on wages for U.S.-born workers, while others, like George Borjas, professor of economics and social policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, have said that immigration negatively affects wages of some U.S.-born workers, especially Black and Latino people. You can read more in this explainer from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, this article about how immigration affects the economy from the Council on Foreign Relations and this report on the impact of unauthorized immigrants on the economy from the Economic Policy Institute. 

Research overwhelmingly suggests that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born U.S. citizens. For example, a 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Justice found that “U.S.-born citizens were significantly more likely to engage in crime compared to immigrants, regardless of immigration status.” Read more research from the Migration Policy Institute; Criminology, an academic journal focused on studying crime; and PNAS, the peer-reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences.  

McGuire: Did not respond.

Congress and executive power: Congress was designed to act as a check on the executive branch, regardless of which party controls the White House. What responsibilities does Congress have when it disagrees with a president’s actions, and where do you believe the limits of presidential authority should be?

Lucero: Our Constitution established three co-equal branches of government for a reason. Each branch has distinct responsibilities and checks on the others.

When Congress disagrees with a president’s actions, its responsibility is to exercise its constitutional authority through legislation, oversight, funding decisions, and other powers granted by the Constitution.* Likewise, the President must operate within the powers granted by the Constitution and laws passed by Congress.

This system was intentionally designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. Regardless of who occupies the White House, our government functions best when each branch respects its constitutional role and faithfully performs the duties entrusted to it by the American people.

Editor’s notes

*This refers to the congressional powers outlined in Article I of the U.S. Constitution.

McGuire: Did not respond.

Are there any other pressing issues you would like 5th District voters to know about?

Lucero: I support President Trump’s America First agenda* because it puts American citizens, workers, families, and communities first.

As a Marine veteran, business owner, and political outsider, I’m running to help secure our border, eliminate fraud, waste and abuse, restore government accountability, strengthen our economy, and protect the freedoms that make America exceptional.

The people of the 5th District deserve a representative who will fight for them, not the useless political establishment. I’ll work every day to support the America First movement and deliver results for the citizens of Virginia’s 5th District.

Editor’s notes

*This refers to President Donald Trump’s “America first” priorities, which outlined the Trump administration’s policy agenda in several areas including immigration, trade, energy and national security. It included large domestic deportation operations, tariffs on U.S. trade partners, funding cuts for U.S. aid to other countries and a rollback of climate protection policies. You can read more about some of these areas in this article from the Council on Foreign Relations.

McGuire: Did not respond.

More about the candidates

Here are key dates and deadlines in the 2026 elections

Friday, March 6, 2026 – Saturday, April 18, 2026Early voting for special election on constitutional amendment to allow state lawmakers to redraw the congressional district map. Voting is available weekdays at local registrar’s offices. Registrar’s offices will also be open for voting Saturday, April 11 and Saturday, April 18.
Friday, April 10, 2026, 5 p.m.Deadline to apply to your local registrar’s office for your ballot to be mailed to you or to apply for an absentee ballot using the Citizen Portal for the special election. Requests must be received by your local registrar’s office by 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 15, 2026Deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration for the special election. You can still vote in the special election if you miss this deadline by registering at the polling place and casting a provisional ballot.
Tuesday, April 21, 2026Special Election Day!
Friday, June 29 to Aug. 1, 2026Early voting period for Primary Elections. Contact your local registrar’s office for all early voting and satellite location information.
Friday, July 24, 2026Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot. Apply for an absentee ballot online using the Citizen Portal by 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026Primary Election Day!
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026General Election Day!

We will update this list periodically as deadlines approach or we receive new information.

Register to vote, check your registration, find your polling place and apply to vote absentee at the Virginia Department of Elections here. Remember, even if you miss registration deadlines, you can register through Election Day and vote using a provisional ballot.

Need to know if you’re eligible to vote? Here are resources from the Virginia Department of Elections.

Text graphic reading 'Voter 2026 Guide'.

2026 Central Virginia Voter Guide

Early voting for Virginia’s Aug. 4 primary election begins June 18, giving voters across central Virginia a chance to cast their ballots ahead of Election Day. Depending on where you live, you’ll help choose party nominees for Congress and the U.S. Senate. The winners of those contests will then face off against each other in the Nov. 3 general election.

Charlottesville Tomorrow’s Voter Guide covers every eligible race in central Virginia — from this spring’s special election through the November general.

Read more here

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