U.S. House, Virginia 9th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Virginia's 9th Congressional District?
Morgan Griffith has the strongest record in Virginia's 9th Congressional District. Morgan Griffith scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Joy Powers at 61, as of October 5, 2026. Morgan Griffith's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Joy Powers's highest marks are roots in the constituency and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Republican · incumbent
Strongest record
Morgan Griffith
On the ballot as H. Morgan Griffith
64 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 45
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 69
Democratic
Joy Powers
On the ballot as Joy A. Powers
61 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 70
- Performance
- 50
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Morgan Griffith
- On the record2026-09
Declined the three general election debates his opponent proposed on Aug. 24, 2026, saying the people of the district already know where he stands.
Sources: WDBJ, Sept. 5, 2026, WSET, Sept. 30, 2026, WSLS, Sept. 30, 2026
- On the record2025-04-16
Did not attend an April 2025 'empty chair' town hall organized by constituents in Abingdon and said he regularly holds telephone town halls instead.
Source: WVVA, April 17, 2025
- On the record2020-12 to 2021-01
Signed the December 2020 House members' amicus brief supporting Texas v. Pennsylvania and voted Yea on both objections to state electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021.
Sources: U.S. Supreme Court docket No. 155, Original, amicus brief filed Dec. 11, 2020, House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, Ballotpedia, Morgan Griffith
- Credit2025
Sponsored H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act, which passed the House Feb. 6, 2025 and was enacted through the Senate companion S. 331 on July 16, 2025; also sponsored H.J.Res. 61, signed May 23, 2025.
Sources: GovTrack, H.R. 27 (119th Congress), GovTrack, H.J.Res. 61 (119th Congress), Office site, press release, July 16, 2025
- Credit2023
Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31, 2023, and Nay on the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act conference report on Dec. 14, 2023, against the votes of the House Republican leaders.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 723, Dec. 14, 2023, Office site, statement on the vote, May 31, 2023
- Credit2022-03-03
Was the lead Republican House sponsor of H.R. 4445, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, signed into law March 3, 2022.
Sources: CNBC, Feb. 10, 2022, Office site, press release, March 3, 2022
- Credit2017 to 2024
The Center for Effective Lawmaking rated him above its benchmark in the 115th and 117th Congresses and at its benchmark in the 118th Congress.
Source: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress
- Credit2000
Elected majority leader of the Virginia House of Delegates in 2000, the first Republican to hold the post, and served in the chamber from 1994 to December 2010.
Sources: Virginia House of Delegates history (DOME), Office site, Biography
Joy Powers
- On the record2026-03 to 2026-06
Sued the Bedford County School Board in March 2026 over notice for its vote to close Stewartsville Elementary; Judge Wes Nance dismissed the suit June 4, 2026 after a second vote kept the school open.
Sources: WDBJ, March 17, 2026, WSET, June 4, 2026
- On the record2026-08-24
Proposed three general election debates across the district on Aug. 24, 2026, with voter-submitted questions; the incumbent declined.
- Credit2024-08
As superintendent of the volunteer-run Bedford County Fair, led its return on Aug. 23 to 25, 2024, the first fair held since 2019.
Source: WAVY (WFXR report), 2024
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Morgan Griffith. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 is on file with the House Clerk, filed May 15, 2026. FEC reports are on file. No House Ethics Committee or FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10078018, House Committee on Ethics site search for Griffith, FEC administrative fines search
Joy Powers. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Morgan Griffith. Voted No on the Fiscal Responsibility Act on May 31, 2023, when House Republicans voted 149 to 71 and their leaders voted Aye. Voted Nay on the FY2024 defense authorization conference report on Dec. 14, 2023 (Republicans 147 to 73).
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, May 31, 2023, House Clerk Roll Call 723, Dec. 14, 2023, Office site, statement on the vote, May 31, 2023
Joy Powers. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Morgan Griffith. Declined the three general election debates proposed by his opponent on Aug. 24, 2026. Held an in-person town hall on the redistricting referendum in Rocky Mount in March 2026 and says he holds regular telephone town halls.
Sources: WDBJ, Sept. 5, 2026, WSLS, Sept. 30, 2026, WSET, Sept. 30, 2026, WSET, March 31, 2026, WVVA, April 17, 2025
Joy Powers. Proposed three general election debates across the district on Aug. 24, 2026, which the incumbent declined. Answered the Radio IQ candidate questionnaire and gave on-record interviews to local television.
Sources: Floyd Times, Sept. 9, 2026, WDBJ, Sept. 5, 2026, WVTF, Radio IQ candidate questionnaire, WCYB, Sept. 10, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Morgan Griffith. Served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1994 to 2010 and in Congress since 2011. No House Ethics Committee conduct record found.
Sources: Virginia House of Delegates history (DOME), House Committee on Ethics site search for Griffith
Joy Powers. Superintendent of the Bedford County Fair and a member of the Bedford County Agricultural Economic Development Advisory Board. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: WAVY (WFXR report), 2024, WVTF, Radio IQ candidate questionnaire
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Morgan Griffith. Voted Yea on both objections to state electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021 (Roll Calls 10 and 11). Listed as an amicus on the December 2020 House members' brief supporting Texas in Texas v. Pennsylvania.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021, U.S. Supreme Court docket No. 155, Original, amicus brief filed Dec. 11, 2020
Joy Powers. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Morgan Griffith. In the U.S. House since Jan. 5, 2011, now seeking a ninth term. Served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1994 to 2010, including as majority leader from 2000.
Sources: GovTrack, VA-9, Virginia House of Delegates history (DOME), Ballotpedia, Morgan Griffith
Joy Powers. Cattle farmer and small business owner who runs her family's farm and ran its farm equipment dealership, superintendent of the Bedford County Fair and founder of the nonprofit Restore the Harvest. Has not held elected office.
Sources: WVTF, Radio IQ candidate questionnaire, WAVY (WFXR report), 2024, Ballotpedia, Joy Powers
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Morgan Griffith. Chairs the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. Sponsored H.R. 27, the HALT Fentanyl Act, whose provisions were enacted through the Senate companion bill signed July 16, 2025.
Sources: GovTrack, committee membership, Office site, Biography, GovTrack, H.R. 27 (119th Congress)
Joy Powers. Publishes a seven-part H.O.M.E. Plan with specific items (rural hospitals, medication-assisted treatment, mine-land redevelopment, broadband) and an issues page that says a member of Congress cannot set grocery prices.
Sources: Campaign site, Priorities, Campaign site, The Issues, Ballotpedia, Joy Powers, candidate survey
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Morgan Griffith. Publishes a weekly e-newsletter and an issues page, holds telephone town halls and held an in-person town hall in March 2026. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and did not answer the Radio IQ questionnaire.
Sources: Office site, home page, WVVA, April 17, 2025, WSET, March 31, 2026, Ballotpedia, Morgan Griffith, VPM and Radio IQ, Sept. 21, 2026
Joy Powers. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and the Radio IQ questionnaire, publishes plain-language issue pages and proposed three debates.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Joy Powers, VPM and Radio IQ, Sept. 21, 2026, Campaign site, The Issues, Floyd Times, Sept. 9, 2026
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Morgan Griffith. Graduated from Salem's Andrew Lewis High School in 1976 and represented Salem in the House of Delegates from 1994. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 42 percent of itemized individual contributions from Virginia.
Sources: Office site, Biography, Virginia House of Delegates history (DOME), Cardinal News, Sept. 29, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Joy Powers. Fourth-generation cattle farmer raised in Bedford County, which the incumbent's office lists in the 9th District, and lives on the family farm there. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 88 percent of itemized individual contributions from Virginia.
Sources: WCYB, Sept. 10, 2026, VPM and Radio IQ, Sept. 21, 2026, Office site of Rep. Griffith, 9th District communities, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Morgan Griffith. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Joy Powers. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026. No FEC administrative fine record found. Runs a family farm and has superintended a volunteer-run county fair.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, WAVY (WFXR report), 2024
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Morgan Griffith. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.993 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 1.481, which the Center for Effective Lawmaking classes as meeting expectations. GovTrack counts 11 enacted bills as primary sponsor, including the HALT Fentanyl Act in 2025.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation, GovTrack, H.R. 27 (119th Congress)
Joy Powers. As fair superintendent, led the return of the Bedford County Fair in August 2024, the first held since 2019.
Source: WAVY (WFXR report), 2024
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Morgan Griffith. Missed 205 of 9,214 roll call votes, 2.2 percent, from January 2011 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Joy Powers. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Morgan Griffith. Lists two district offices, in Abingdon and Christiansburg, and offers help with federal agencies. Posts a monthly schedule of traveling staff office hours in every county and says he holds regular telephone town halls.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Traveling Staff Office Hours Schedule, Cardinal News, Sept. 29, 2026, WVVA, April 17, 2025
Joy Powers. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Morgan Griffith. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.74611 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress, 2023), ranked 281 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores
Joy Powers. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Morgan Griffith. No public record found.
Joy Powers. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 5, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Virginia's 9th Congressional District?
Morgan Griffith has the strongest record in Virginia's 9th Congressional District. Morgan Griffith scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Joy Powers at 61, as of October 5, 2026. Morgan Griffith's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Joy Powers's highest marks are roots in the constituency and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Virginia's 9th Congressional District in 2026?
H. Morgan Griffith (Republican, incumbent), Joy A. Powers (Democratic). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Morgan Griffith a good candidate for Congress?
Morgan Griffith scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 45 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 69 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Joy Powers a good candidate for Congress?
Joy Powers scores 61 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 70 of 100, performance 50 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Virginia race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Virginia 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.