WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Virginia’s 7th Congressional District spans Central and Northern Virginia and includes all of Orange, Culpeper, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, and some of Prince William and Albermarle counties.
Since 2018, Democrat Abigail Spanberger has represented the district. She announced in November 2023 that she would be giving up the seat in order to run for governor of Virginia in 2025.
Democrat Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson are in the race to replace her.
Eugene Vindman (D)
Eugene Vindman, 49, spent the first half of his 25-year Army career as a paratrooper and infantry officer. After completing law school, he became an officer in the JAG Corps where he served as a prosecutor, fighting to protect servicewomen from sexual predators and holding serious felons accountable, according to his campaign website.
He and his twin brother, Alex, gained notoriety for being key players in the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in 2019. While Vindman was an ethics lawyer for the National Security Council (NSC), Alex told him of a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which he pressured Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.
The brothers raised their concerns to supervisors, later resulting in Trump’s first impeachment.
Both Vindmans passed along what they heard to their superiors, resulting in the eventual first impeachment of Trump, who was acquitted on the counts of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress that he faced.
The Vindmans were dismissed from their NSC jobs after the impeachment inquiry, as reported by the Washington Post.
Why run for Congress?
“I’m running for Congress in Virginia’s Seventh District to protect our democracy, restore our freedoms, and fight for all of our communities to thrive. America must remain a refuge for families like mine, where hard work matters, truth prevails, rights are protected, and we are all free to be who we are and pursue our dreams in this land of opportunity,” Vindman stated on his campaign site.
Issues
Issues at top of mind for Eugene Vindman include protecting abortion rights and IVF, fighting for the military community, delivering “high-quality public education,” investing in local transportation infrastructure and stopping Project 2025.
A comprehensive list of key issues can be found on Vindman’s campaign site.
Endorsements
Congresswoman Abigail Spangberger (VA-07); The Washington Post’s Editorial Board; Service Employees International Union (SEIU); Everytown for Gun Safety; Jewish Dems; The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund; Deshunda Jefferson, Chairwoman, Prince William County Board of Supervisors; Barbur Lateef, Chairman, Prince William County School Board
For a full list of endorsements, click here.
Derrick Anderson (R)
Derrick Anderson is a U.S. Army veteran and an attorney. Before graduating from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019, he served as a 3rd Infantry Division platoon leader, deploying in support of “the Surge” in Iraq for more than a year, according to his campaign website.
He later became an A-Team leader in the Green Berets and served as a detachment commander for two Special Forces teams and the company executive officer for two companies over the course of five deployments.
Anderson also worked in the Office of National Drug Control Policy during former President Donald Trump’s Administration.
Why run for Congress?
“Though I no longer wear a United States Army uniform, it does not mean I can no longer serve this nation. I pledge to be the representative the people of Virginia’s 7th District deserve and are owed,” Anderson stated on his campaign site.
Issues
Issues at top of mind for Derrick Anderson include prioritizing the economy’s improvement and making life more affordable, immigration and border security, “lower costs and lower taxes, better schools, safer communities, a stronger national defense and better roads,” he wrote in an op-ed for The Daily Progress.
A comprehensive list of key issues can be found on Anderson’s campaign site.
Anderson took part in a DC News Now candidate forum. We invited Vindman to be part of it, but he did not accept the invitation.
Endorsements
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin; Former President Donald Trump; National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); King George County Board of Supervisors & School Board; Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares
For a full list of endorsements, click here.
Voting in Virginia
Early voting ends on Nov. 2 in Virginia. Absentee ballots must be returned by mail and postmarked by Nov. 5. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
