More than four months out from the primary, the contest to succeed Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District is getting awfully crowded.
The race for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District features a pair of county supervisors, two state lawmakers, a self-funded tech entrepreneur and veterans of most branches of the military — including a Navy SEAL, two Green Berets and a retired Army colonel who played a key role in Trump-era Washington.
More than four months out from the primary, the only thing that’s clear in the contest to succeed Rep. Abigail Spanberger in a purple swath of the commonwealth is that things are“Open congressional seats don’t happen very often, and when they do, everyone who imagines themselves a congressman or congresswoman is going to be looking at that seriously,” said Steve Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington. “That’s happening for both parties because this is a really competitive district.”The field of grew wider Wednesday when Prince William County Supervisor Andrea O. Bailey entered the race, making her initial pitch with an endorsement from former Democratic governor Ralph Northam. “The dysfunction and the way that Congress is operating is unacceptable,” she said in an interview Tuesday. “We need stronger leaders that are able to make pointed and informed decisions and not back down from them.” Bailey, a two-term lawmaker who helped boost behavioral health services in Prince William, said she has always hoped to conclude her political career in Congress. “The opportunity came a little sooner than expected,” she said, “but I think right now my leadership is needed.” Spanberger announced in the fall that she would not seek reelection and would focus on running for governor in 2025. Her exit has opened up what Farnsworth called the “swingiest” district in the commonwealth, which stretches from increasingly blue exurbs along Interstate 95 into more rural, conservative parts of central Virginia.The district has a large concentration of military veterans, defense contractors and national security professionals as well as Marine Corps Base Quantico. At least eight candidates — including Bailey, who calls herself a “proud military spouse” — have emphasized their service or their role in a military family.Besides Bailey, six other Democrats are hoping to be the one to extend their party’s winning streak, while seven Republicans and one independent also have filed to run. The GOP’s House campaign arm has listed the open seat as one of about three dozen Democratic-held “targets” it is looking to flip this year.— who helped his twin brother file a report that brought about the first impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump — has amassed by far the largest war chest, raising nearly $2.03 million through the end of 2023. That amounts to more than all the other candidates combined have raised, according to the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.In addition to Bailey, three others currently serve or have recently served in state or local office representing Prince William: County SupervisorAlso seeking the Democratic nomination are two veterans — Cliff Heinzer, a former Green Beret, and Carl Bedell, a former Army captain — who are positioning themselves as moderates, although both may face an uphill climb against candidates with more name recognition. Bailey, 69, said in an interview that she would distinguish herself from her competitors by emphasizing her experience working with lawmakers at the county, state and federal levels, including with Rep. Rob Wittman , to open a new crisis receiving center in her district.“I know my colleagues that I will be sitting with when this election is over,” she said. A two-term lawmaker, Bailey unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the board of supervisors in 2015 before winning the same race four years later as the traditionally GOP-dominated body flipped to a Democratic majority. Bedell, 45, is a government contractor and veterans disability lawyer who says he would emphasize veterans’ issues. He notes that, as a Greene County resident, he is the only candidate who lives in the district’s more rural western end. “Our district is a purple district and demands a moderate representative that looks beyond party lines to get things done,” he said in an interview. “I am a big believer that people should come before politics.” Heinzer, 63, a former diplomat who also chaired the Stafford County Democratic Committee, said he was compelled to run because of key issues that he felt were not getting addressed — including border security and turmoil in Middle East.“We’re pretty purple,” he said, “and we’re going to need someone who can position themselves in the center — who can persuade independents and even establishment Republicans to keep the district blue.” On the GOP side, seven candidates have said they will seek the GOP nomination, including three who have raised more than $250,000 in the first fundraising period. Those candidates are Derrick Anderson, a combat veteran and former Green Beret who came in second in last year’sfor the seat; Cameron Hamilton, a Navy SEAL veteran and former Department of Homeland Security official; and tech entrepreneur Bill Moher.retired Army Lt. Col. Jeffrey Sacks; and Terris Todd, a former Heritage Foundation adviser and Trump appointee in the Department of Education.
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