Three candidates are on the ballot Tuesday when Reston-area voters help decide who represents Virginia's 11th Congressional District in Congress.

Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw faces Republican Arthur Purves and Green Party candidate Dianne Blais in the district, which covers most of Fairfax County and all of Fairfax City. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, according to Fairfax County's voter guide.

Walkinshaw won a special election in 2025 after longtime Rep. Gerry Connolly died, according to The Center Square. He is seeking his first full term. Neither party held a primary in the district, VPM reported.

The Cook Political Report rates the race as solidly favoring the incumbent party. The district has leaned Democratic in elections since 2009, according to the district's election history.

Who's running

Walkinshaw, a former Fairfax County supervisor, has made defending federal workers a centerpiece of his campaign. He told WJLA that affordability is the biggest issue facing voters. He introduced legislation requiring congressional approval before any president can downsize agencies or eliminate federal positions.

"What we've seen from President Trump in this term is that his policies are making inflation and costs higher … no middle-class tax credits and tariffs which are driving up the costs of everything that we buy," Walkinshaw told WJLA.

Purves, president of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, has spent his career as a computer programmer, according to WJLA. He blames federal spending for driving inflation and says improving Americans' diets could lower healthcare costs. He told the station that DOGE "handled things poorly" but said he could slash trillions from the budget without cutting programs.

Blais, a volunteer and activist who formerly worked for the Navy and the Air Force, supports a moratorium on data center construction and free public transportation, according to The Center Square. She called affordability the top issue for voters.

"I go to the store and see increases, sometimes in a few days prices have jumped up," Blais told WJLA.

Data centers divide the field

Data center growth in Northern Virginia drew sharp differences. Walkinshaw said in a VPM candidate survey that rapid expansion can strain the power grid and raise energy costs. He wants data centers to cover their own energy costs and meet strict environmental standards.

Purves called data centers a local issue, not a federal one. "I am afraid our money-hungry supervisors will trample on the rights and desires of homeowners to zone in more data centers," he told WJLA.

Blais said a moratorium is needed until benefit-cost studies are completed and town halls are held, according to the VPM survey.

How to vote and track results

Voters must be in line at their polling place by 7 p.m. to cast a ballot. Same-day registration is available for those who missed the Oct. 23 deadline; those voters will cast a provisional ballot.

Unofficial results will be posted on the Virginia Department of Elections results page after polls close.