Eugene Vindman won the Democratic Party’s nomination for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday.
The race among Democrats comes after the incumbent Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger announced she would not seek re-election in favor of running for governor of the Old Dominion next year.
Seven Democrats vied for the nomination in the crowded primary election, including: Prince County Supervisor Andrea Bailey; Prince County Supervisor Margaret Franklin; former state House Delegate Elizabeth Guzman; Virginia House Delegate Briana Sewell; Carl Bedell; Clifford Heinzer; and retired Army Col. Eugene Vindman.
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Eugene Vindman, Democratic candidate for Virginias 7th Congressional District, attends a news conference to urge the House to pass the Senate National Security Aid Package, which includes aid to Ukraine, on 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 in 2020 during former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. The brothers both worked for the National Security Council under the Trump administration, with the congressional candidate helping his brother blow the whistle on Trump’s phone call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding first son Hunter Biden’s business dealings in the nation.
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Alex Vindman and Eugene Vindman stand outside the US Captiol on March 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. VoteVets held a press conference with senators and representatives pushing for an aid bill for Ukraine. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for VoteVets)
Alexander Vindman testified before Congress against the president amid the impeachment, while Eugene Vindman assisted his brother in raising concerns regarding Trump’s phone call with Zelenskyy. The congressional candidate filed a complaint with the Pentagon’s Inspector General in August of 2020 after he was fired from the National Security Council, citing the White House retaliated against him for his role raising concerns regarding the phone call.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., speaks during an interview at her congressional offices in Washington, Feb. 8, 2023. Spanberger has announced she will run in 2024 for Virginia governor. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)
Vindman benefited from massive campaign donation hauls during the primary, raising over $5 million, far more than both Democrats and Republicans working to win the seat, according to Virginia Public Access Project. Vindman outraised his closest competitor in the Democratic primary, Bailey, by roughly 15 times.
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“An advantage in terms of endorsements from top Democrats, the funding advantage that he has in terms of ability to raise money and the fact he has a name that is well-known — that puts him in a position to be better-known than the other candidates,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington, told NBC Washington of Vindman ahead of the primary election.
Elizabeth Guzman is running for re-election for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 31st District, Friday, September 20, 2019, in Fairfax, VA. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The 7th Congressional District stretches from central Virginia to Northern Virginia, encompassing counties such as Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, and parts of Prince William County outside of Washington, D.C. The district is currently considered one that leans or tilts towards the Democratic Party, according to various election ratings.
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Andrea O. Bailey, newly elected member of the Prince Williams County Board of Supervisors, listens during a press conference in Woodbridge, VA on November 6, 2019. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Vindman’s fellow Democratic challengers knocked him as someone who is not well-acquainted with the area, noting he’s never held public office.
“He does not understand the community. He’s not very infused in the community. He’s not been participating in the community as an advocate,” Bailey told the Associated Press.
Vindman has defended his lack of political experience, arguing he will face “zero learning curve” if elected to office, the outlet reported.
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“The people that are attracted to my campaign are attracted to the values that I will bring to this job: the fact that I will fight for priorities, that I put a ready career on the line and lost my military career in standing up to Donald Trump,” he said.