FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — Democrat Eugene Vindman has won the Virginia House of Representatives race, keeping the northern Virginia suburban seat blue following the retirement of Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
With 98% of votes counted, Vindman leads Republican Derrick Anderson 51.1% to 48.9%, according to the Associated Press.
The race in Virginia's 7th Congressional District is considered one of the Republicans' biggest chances to flip a House seat this cycle, leaving them one seat away from potentially defending or expanding the Republican House majority. I approached the seat.
“The path to preserving and expanding the majority runs directly through Virginia,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Post at a rally in Virginia's two key congressional districts on the eve of the election.
Mr. Johnson appeared at the event to drum up support for Mr. Anderson and vulnerable new Republican Rep. Jen Quiggans, who is defending her seat in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
“Green Beret Derrick Anderson has served our country and will be a strong voice in Virginia's 7th District to protect our borders, rebuild our economy, and restore peace through strength,” Johnson said in a post. told the paper.
Anderson ran a close race against Vindman, who gained national attention in 2019 as the first impeachment whistleblower by a Ukrainian-born candidate to report on a phone call between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Collected.
Despite his national profile, Vindman ran a low-profile campaign and appeared in only one debate with Anderson.
he finally sat down for the first interview of the campaign cyclehe gave only seven minutes to local television stations. He spent the interview listing key points and dodging questions about his military history, which has come under scrutiny over allegations of falsifying it.
Vindman's working relationship with his twin brother Alexander was also questioned as a potential conflict of interest.
