In Virginia swing district just outside the DC beltway, Republicans see a unique opportunity to reclaim a coveted seat in the House of Representatives — and their chances have just improved, per Cook Political Report, which shifted the Virginia 7th district race from “Tilt Democratic” to “Toss Up” in its House Ratings on Thursday.
There, Republican Army veteran Derrick Anderson will face off against Democrat Eugene Vindman for the open seat that Democrat Abigail Spanberger will vacate to seek the governor’s office next year.
In a press conference this week, Anderson committed to six debates leading up to Election Day — and called on his opponent to to the same.
One of the debate venues — a local ABC affiliate — reaches more than three quarters of the district, but the Vindman campaign hasn’t agreed to participate, despite being granted an extension.
“Yevgeny Vindman is hiding from voters,” Anderson said in a campaign statement.
“The fact that he would decline to stand up on TV and debate should tell voters all they need to know about how he’d govern if he were elected. Does anyone think we need another DC politician who lies about their resume and who won’t even show up to debates? I certainly don’t.”
Vindman gained national attention in 2019 as a whistleblower in the first impeachment attempt against the former president, which was sparked by the Ukrainian-born candidate’s reporting of a phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Vindman campaign is currently facing an FEC complaint over alleged illegal coordination between his campaign and VoteVets, a PAC run by his twin brother.
The complaint followed media scrutiny over the candidate’s military record, which led the campaign to refer journalists’ questions to his brother’s advocacy group.
The Vindman Campaign did not respond The Post’s inquiry about his debate commitments.
“Eugene Vindman has faced scandal after scandal, completely disqualifying him to be a representative for Virginia’s 7th congressional district,” Delanie Bomar, spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee told The Post.
“Meanwhile, Derrick Anderson has always run toward a fight, making him the ideal candidate to represent his hometown in Congress.”
