First-time Democratic candidate Eugene Vindman isn’t trying to flip Virginia’s 7th Congressional District from Republican control, but his campaign has landed on a national priority list for Democrats targeting districts to turn from "red to blue."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced on Thursday that it has added the 7th to its "Red-to-Blue List" as a seat that the party must hold in its quest to win back a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Eugene Vindman is the proven leader and strong advocate for our freedoms that Virginians deserve," said U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, chair of the national committee. "His bravery, commitment to service, and emphasis on lowering costs resonates with Virginia voters."
The distinction is likely to boost national fundraising for Vindman, a 25-year U.S. Army veteran from Prince William County, for his campaign against Republican Derrick Anderson, a former U.S. Army Green Beret from Spotsylvania County.
They are seeking a seat that Rep. Abigail Spanberger is relinquishing next year to run for the Democratic nomination for governor. The 7th District spans Orange, Greene, Madison, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline and King George counties, parts of Albemarle and Prince William counties and the city of Fredericksburg.
Vindman already has demonstrate that he can raise money inside and outside of the district, raising more than $5 million in the Democratic primary he won with almost 50% of the vote in a seven-way race.
Vindman is a former ethics lawyer for the National Security Council in the White House under then-President Donald Trump. He and his twin brother, Alexander, played key roles in the first impeachment of Trump for allegedly trying to use U.S. aid to Ukraine — from which he and his family immigrated in 1979 — as leverage for information to use against Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Both brothers say they were forced to retire from the U.S. Army because of their testimony against Trump.
Vindman welcomed the addition to the "Red-to-Blue List," both for its help in fund raising and the national signal it sends about the race.
“My ‘Red to Blue’ designation signals nationally, the importance of holding this district," he said. "We must be all hands on deck to hold this district to take back the House."
The 7th is a battleground district that has become even more important for Democrats to hold because of uncertainty over Biden’s status at the top of the ticket after a disastrous debate on June 27 that intensified concerns about his age and health.
Vindman said he is focusing his campaign on "protecting rights and freedoms, including abortion rights, getting politics out of the classroom and moved VA-07 forward."
"There is no substitute to winning," he said. "We will win.”
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
Be First to Comment