Eugene Vindman wins the Democratic Party nomination Virginia’s 7th congressional district on Tuesday.
The race among Democrats comes after incumbent Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger announced she would not seek re-election in favor of running for governor of Old Dominion next year.
Seven Democrats competed for the nomination in a crowded primary election, including: Prince County Supervisor Andrea Bailey; Prince County Supervisor Margaret Franklin; former state House Delegate Elizabeth Guzman; Virginia House Delegate Brianna Sewell; Carl Bedell; Clifford Heinzer; and retired Army Colonel Eugene Vindman.
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Eugene Vindman, Democratic candidate for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, attends a news conference on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, to urge the House to pass the Senate national security aid package, which includes aid to Ukraine. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
Vindman and his twin brother, retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, gained national attention during former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment in 2020. Both brothers worked for the National Security Council under the Trump administration, with the congressional candidate helping his brother cover Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding first son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the country.
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Alex Vindman and Eugene Vindman stand outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC on March 13, 2024. VoteVets held a press conference with senators and representatives pushing for an aid bill for Ukraine. (Photo: Tassos Katopodis/Getty Images for VoteVets)
Alexander Vindman testified against the president before Congress during impeachment, while Eugene Vindman helped his brother raise concerns about Trump’s phone call with Zelensky. The congressional candidate filed a complaint with the Pentagon’s inspector general in August 2020 after he was fired from the National Security Council, saying the White House retaliated against him for his role in raising concerns about the phone call.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., speaks during an interview in her congressional offices in Washington on Feb. 8, 2023. Spanberger has announced she will run for governor of Virginia in 2024. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)
Vindman benefited from a large influx of donations during the primary election, raising more than $5 million. more than both Democrats Both Republicans are running to win the seat. Vindman garnered nearly 15 times more votes in the Democratic primary than his closest rival, Bailey, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
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“The advantage he has in terms of endorsements from top Democrats, the funding advantage he has in terms of his ability to raise money and also his name recognition — all of that puts him in a better-known position than some of the other candidates,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington. NBC Washington Vindman prior to the primary election.
Elizabeth Guzman is running for re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates in the 31st District on Friday, September 20, 2019, in Fairfax, Virginia. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
7th congressional district The district stretches from Central Virginia to Northern Virginia, including Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, and parts of Prince William County outside Washington, D.C. According to various election ratings, the district is currently considered to lean towards the Democratic Party.
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Andrea O. Bailey, newly elected member of the Prince Williams County Board of Supervisors, listens during a press conference on November 6, 2019 in Woodbridge, Virginia. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Vindman’s fellow Democratic opponents described him as not well acquainted with the area, saying he had never held public office.
“He doesn’t understand the community. He doesn’t have much of a connection to the community. He’s not participating as an advocate in the community,” Bailey told The Associated Press.
Vindman has defended his lack of political experience, arguing that he “wouldn’t have a chance to learn anything” if he did so. Elected to officethe outlet reported.
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“People who are attracted to my campaign are attracted by the values I bring to this job: the fact that I will fight for priorities, that I put my prepared career on the line and lost my military career to stand up to Donald Trump,” he said.
