Eugene Vindman won the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday.
The race between Democrats came after incumbent Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger announced she would not seek reelection to run for governor of the Old Dominion state next year.
The hotly contested primary saw seven Democrats vying for the nomination, including Prince County Supervisor Andrea Bailey, Prince County Supervisor Margaret Franklin, former state Rep. Elizabeth Guzman, Virginia Reps. Brianna Sewell, Carl Bedell, Clifford Heinzer and retired Army Col. Eugene Vindman.
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Eugene Vindman, Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, attends a press conference urging the House to pass a Senate national security assistance package that includes aid to Ukraine, Wednesday, March 13, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Vindman and his twin brother, retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, gained national attention during the first impeachment of former President Donald Trump in 2020. Both brothers served on the National Security Council under the Trump administration, and Vindman, a candidate for Congress, helped his brother blow the whistle on a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the U.S. business dealings of his eldest son, Hunter Biden.
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Alex and Eugene Vindman stand outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on March 13, 2024. VoteVets held a press conference with senators and representatives pushing the Ukraine aid bill. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for VoteVets)
Alexander Vindman testified against the president before Congress during the impeachment, while Eugene Vindman supported his brother in raising concerns about the call between President Trump and President Zelensky. After being fired from the National Security Council, the House candidate filed a complaint with the Defense Department’s inspector general in August 2020, alleging that the White House retaliated against him for his role in raising concerns about the call.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) speaks to reporters at her office in Washington, D.C., on February 8, 2023. Spanberger has announced her candidacy for Virginia governor in 2024. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)
Vindman benefited from a major fundraising spree during the primary, raising more than $5 million, far more than either the Democratic or Republican candidates running for the seat, according to the Virginia Public Access Project. Vindman raised about 15 times as much as his closest Democratic primary rival, Bailey.
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“He has an advantage in terms of the support of Democratic Party officials, he has an advantage in terms of his fundraising ability and the fact that he has a well-known name, which puts him in a position to be better known than the other candidates,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington. NBC Washington Vindman’s remarks ahead of the primary election.
Elizabeth Guzman is running for re-election to the Virginia House of Representatives for the 31st Congressional District on Friday, September 20, 2019, in Fairfax, Virginia. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The 7th Congressional District stretches from central Virginia into Northern Virginia and includes Orange, Culpeper and Spotsylvania counties, as well as parts of Prince William County outside Washington, D.C. The district is currently considered to be leaning or leaning Democratic, according to various election assessments.
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Andrea O. Bailey, newly appointed member of the Prince Williams County Board of Supervisors, listens during a press conference on Nov. 6, 2019, in Woodbridge, Virginia. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Vindman’s Democratic opponents have criticized him for not being familiar with the region, noting that he has never held public office.
“He doesn’t understand the community. He’s not very integrated into the community. He’s not involved as an advocate for the community,” Bailey told The Associated Press.
According to the outlet, Vindman has defended his lack of political experience, claiming that if elected there would be “zero learning curve.”
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“People who are attracted to my campaign are attracted to the values that I bring to this job — the fact that I fight for priorities, the fact that I sacrificed my military career and lost my military career to stand up to Donald Trump,” he said.
