The Fredericksburg Advance recently sat down with Democratic candidate for Congress Eugene Vindman. An edited version of our discussion follows.
FXBG Advance: Tell us about your connections to the area and the people of the 7th Congressional District.
Eugene Vindman: I’ve lived in this area of Virginia for almost 10 years. Before moving to Prince William County, I served two tours in the Charlottesville area, both with the Army Judge Advocate General Corp.
In 2016, following a number of tours in Iraq and other spots overseas, as well as for a time in Texas, the Army moved me here. My family and I settled into the Northern Virginia area where my brothers-in-law live. Combining my time in Charlottesville and now in Prince William County, it’s fair to say that I’m a long-standing resident of central Virginia.
My son has gone to middle school and high school, and he is now beginning his third year at William & Mary. My daughter went to elementary and middle school in north-central Virginia. My family is very grounded here.
FXBG Advance: As you’ve spent time on the campaign trail, how has your knowledge of the 7th Congressional District and its people deepened?
EV: I’ve come to know the people much better. The 7th is a diverse district, both economically and population-wise. We have agricultural regions, sprawling suburbs, small urban areas like Fredericksburg, and larger urban areas.
What is consistent across all these places is that there are hard-working people throughout trying to do their best to make a living and provide for their families. And they want to make sure their kids have access to safe, high-quality public schools.
FXBG Advance: Transportation continues to be a driving concern for citizens in this region. As a would-be first-year Congressional representative, the amount of impact you could have on this issue would probably be small. That said, what do you believe Congress can do to begin addressing this issue.
EV: I like to challenge assumptions like that. Yes, first-year representatives are in junior positions, but tough problems need focused responses and thinking.
I’ve already started having conversations about I95, a roadway that affects about 65% of the people in this district on a regular basis. I want to expand the lanes on I95 and make it multimodal. In fact, we need multimodal solutions up and down the I95 corridor.
Similarly, we need a multimodal solution for our east/west roads to Culpeper and Madison.
VRE is not able to handle the capacity that is required to alleviate much of the traffic on I95. We need rail solutions that make regular runs — at least hourly — like metro or other mechanisms to and from D.C.
This could significantly reduce traffic on I95, and ease the way for people transiting through here on their way to points north and south of our region.
FXBG Advance: Water issues have also become a major concern in this region. What are your thoughts on this?
EV: Greene and King George counties both have water issues, but the nature of them is a little different. In King George, it’s the aquifer; in Greene County, it’s the need to build a reservoir.
These problems reflect our infrastructure issues nationwide; there is much that needs to be refurbished and modernized.
FXBG Advance: What other major concerns do you hear from voters as you travel around the District?
EV: The need for infrastructure in our more-remote rural areas. It’s important that we deliver access to 5G so kids are not sitting in a McDonald’s parking lot getting the internet they need to do schoolwork. In King George it’s the aquifer that’s on the verge of running out that has people concerned.
Schools are another major issue. This is acute in Spotsylvania County, where and an activist and extremist school board did considerable damage for the two years that it was in power. It was defeated last year, but the threat that this group poses is not completely gone. Politicizing the classroom as these people have is a major issue and does our kids a disservice.
Then there’s the issue of reproductive rights. The Dobbs decision was a major domino. Since then, there have been attacks on In Vitro Fertilization, and contraception is on the chopping block.
Looking at myself and my opponent, one of the starkest contrasts is where we stand on rights and freedoms in this regard.
Another concern is Project 2025 and Schedule F. This is a nefarious plan to eliminate tens of thousands of federal jobs that exist in this region and move them elsewhere.
Not only is this unfair, but it would weakens us as a nation. These are people who have built up decades of experience identifying threats and answering some of the most pressing issues this country faces.
And it would be devastating to this economy. The Congressional Research Service indicates that about 15% of people who live in the 7th Congressional District are government employees.
FXBG Advance: How would you navigate the tensions between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill?
EV: I’ve met and engaged with many Republicans, and in private they’re reasonable people. Their public personae, however, forces them to pull a party line or demonstrate fealty to a pretty extreme candidate at the top of the ticket. This election is a major crossroads, and I’m hoping that there’s a fever that breaks after this election, and we can start moving to the center.
FXBG Advance: What do people understand least about you?
EV: People least understand what motivates me. Why I do what I do. I came to this country as a refugee. My family had less than 500 dollars in our pockets. After a lot of hard work and education and military service, I’ve realized the American Dream. And I want to make that available to everyone.
When I joined the military, it was out of an intense sense of patriotism and having been accepted here. That love of country is what’s motivating me to run. I couldn’t sit on the sidelines when I saw the stakes this year.
I’ve demonstrated my commitment to this country as a prosecutor in the military for 25 years. I’m ultimately a local family guy who wants to make life better for this community.
FXBG Advance: Any final thoughts?
EV: The stakes in this election are high, but also there’s going to be some pretty stark distinctions that are drawn between my view of this community and this world and my opponent’s. You can tell where the truth is by looking at our backgrounds and our histories. About what I’ve done, about who I am, about what I’ve done in this community.
Who does Anderson work for, where does he live, who supports him? The answers to all of these questions present a stark contrast, and that’s the most important thing to base a decision on.
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