Democrat Vindman, known as a Trump whistleblower, wins competitive Virginia House race

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrat Eugene Vindman won Virginia’s most competitive congressional race Wednesday, defeating his opponent in a blow to the GOP’s hopes of flipping the open House seat.

In Virginia’s 7th District, Vindman defeated Republican Derrick Anderson by a close margin after conservatives targeted the House seat. Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the district’s three-term incumbent, decided to run for governor in 2025 — presenting an opening in the battleground district.

“With the support of our grassroots army, we accomplished something together that many didn’t think was possible,” Vindman said in a statement. “It’s a testament to the power of the American experience, that an immigrant who escaped a Soviet Regime and came to this great nation with less than $800 in our pockets, would now stand here as a Congressman-elect of the United States House of Representatives.”

Anderson did not concede defeat, and his campaign issued a statement saying there are still thousands of uncounted ballots. “We want to make sure everyone’s voice is heard in this extremely close race,” the statement said.

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The election between Vindman and Anderson quickly became one of the most competitive in the country, with Republicans hoping to make gains in districts in which they don’t face an incumbent.

Vindman, despite being a political newcomer, developed a national profile after blowing the whistle alongside his brother during then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. Vindman and his twin brother, Alex, were career military officers who raised their concerns about Trump’s 2019 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which Trump sought an investigation of President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter.

Vindman, a former Army officer, focused his campaign on abortion rights and the threat of MAGA extremism on democracy. Anderson, a fellow veteran and former Green Beret, pitched himself as the more affable candidate, and centered his campaign on the economy.

Republicans had steadily represented the district for nearly 50 years until Spanberger defeated former Republican Rep. David Brat in 2018.

Elsewhere in Virginia, voters reelected Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia’s 2nd District, defeating Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal in a victory for Republicans aiming to keep the congressional seat in their battle to control the House.

Democrats had backed Smasal in hopes of reclaiming Kiggans’ seat after Republicans flipped it in the 2022 midterm election.

Kiggans said in a statement Wednesday that she was honored that voters “have once again chosen commonsense conservatism to represent them in Washington.”

“My priorities are unchanged: securing a strong economy, securing our southern border, ensuring our communities and families are kept safe, and providing peace through strength on the world stage,” Kiggans said.

In a statement conceding the race to Kiggans, Cotter Smasal praised her own campaign for focusing on “essential freedoms and protecting our Democracy.” She said her supporters “will continue to make their voices heard.”

Kiggans, a 53-year-old former Navy helicopter pilot, sought a second term while facing a challenge from Cotter Smasal, 46, who also served as a Navy surface warfare officer.

Differences between Kiggans and Cotter Smasal mostly traced the national fault lines between the two major political parties. In a fiery October debate, the two repeatedly painted each other as ineffectual and supportive of partisan policies that would hurt the coastal district. While Cotter Smasal centered her campaign on abortion access and defending American democracy, Kiggans focused on issues such as the economy and border security.

The 2nd has traditionally been a swing district, oscillating in recent years between Republicans and Democrats who served in the Navy. For instance, former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor was a Republican who represented the district for one term before being defeated in 2018 by Democrat Elaine Luria, a former Navy commander. Luria served for two terms before she lost to Kiggans in 2022.

All U.S. House seats were up for election on Tuesday, including eight other districts in Virginia. Democratic Reps. Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, Jennifer McClellan and Bobby Scott won their seats. Republican Reps. Ben Cline, Morgan Griffith and Rob Wittman also won reelection. State Sen. John McGuire also won Virginia’s 5th District after narrowly defeating incumbent Rep. Bob Good by less than a percentage point in a bitter primary, which led to a recount in August.

Democrat Suhas Subramanyam defeated Republican Mike Clancy in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. Democrats sought to maintain the House seat representing a swath of northern Virginia exurbs after incumbent Rep. Jennifer Wexton said she would not run for reelection because she was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy.

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Barakat reported from Falls Church, Virginia, and Finley from Virginia Beach.

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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.