Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District Eugene Vindman on why he got in the race, and the importance of Ukraine.
by Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Eugene Vindman is running in the Democratic primary for a chance to win the 7th Congressional District seat that Abigail Spanberger has held for almost 6 years. Eugene and his twin brother Alexander came into the national spotlight in 2019 when Alexander testified about the Trump-Ukraine scandal.
Recently, Eugene sat down with FXBG Advance to discuss his personal story, who he is outside the world of politics, and what he would hope to accomplish were he to be victorious come November.
FXBG Advance: What motivated you to seek this Congressional seat?
Eugene Vindman: I never saw myself as a politician. I’ve been a soldier for 25 years, and it was a privilege to work in the White House.
I was involved in the First Impeachment as a whistle-blower – though I didn’t see myself as such – and my brother Alex testified before Congress about Trump’s actions. The President held our actions against us, and that effectively ended my career. I retired in 2022.
As an American born in Ukraine, I was seized by what was happening there, and I was greatly disturbed by the politicization of what was a national security issue. What happens here has an impact on Ukraine, Israel, the Middle East and Taiwan. The government wasn’t functioning, because there was chaos; not compromise.
These experiences motivated me to want to participate in government in a meaningful way.
I’ve lived in Prince William since 2016, and I want what my neighbors want. Good schools, infrastructure, reproductive freedom. It was important to have my name on the ballot somewhere at the federal level to contrast Trump’s lack of values against what Alex and I did.
Honorable people want to serve in government.
One thing that unifies this area are our common values. People here want a government that works. They want safe high-quality schools. And they want moderate, commonsense policies.
I came here at 3.5 as a refugee from Soviet Ukraine. I was born in a dictatorship, deployed to Iraq, and I’m a patriot who loves this country. I just couldn’t stand idly by and watch the country descend into authoritarianism. When Trump says he wants to be a dictator for a day, it won’t be for just a day.
FXBG Advance: All of the current Democratic candidates for the seat call Prince William home. How will you serve the entire district, including the communities that are in our readership area?
EV: The first thing I did after announcing my candidacy was to go to Orange County and participate in the Christmas parade. Since then I’ve returned to Orange and made trips to Madison and Green. I will go out to every corner of the district and meet the voters and find out what’s important to them.
Obviously, agriculture is going to be important to significant parts of this district. But also of interest are data centers and schools dealing with book bans. In addition, rural broadband remains a significant issue. And of course, infrastructure and the I95 corridor are ongoing concerns for residents of the eastern side of the 7th District.
If the opportunity presents itself, I would like to serve on the Agriculture Committee as well as be involved in a committee concerned with national security.
FXBG Advance: Clearly, Ukraine is an important issue for you. Could you please say more about how you see that situation?
EV: I’ve done 14 trips to Ukraine between 2022 and November 2023 investigating war crimes as a human rights lawyer. Most every trip, I’ve covered about 1,000 road miles. So I’ve been to most parts of the country.
I really care about what happens there from both a humanitarian and foreign policy perspective. It’s in our U.S. national security interest to be involved. Only through U.S. leadership will we be able to rebuild order and restore stability in that part of the world.
FXBG Advance: There are a great number of differences in the communities that comprise the 7th; what do you think unites the district?
EV: One thing that unifies this area are our common values. People here want a government that works. They want safe high-quality schools. And they want moderate, commonsense policies.
FXBG Advance: What would readers be surprised to learn about you?
EV: I like my jeans and plaid shirts, and I like spending time with family. We spend a lot of time hiking, binge-watching shows. I’m a pretty laid-back guy.
FXBG Advance: Any parting thoughts for our readers?
EV: Yes. I’m a product of the American Dream. My dad came here with $759. We were poor, but we had each other. I want to make sure that that dream is there for our children and our grandchildren. That we are a country of optimists, and that we believe in the work that our parents have done. Our best days are ahead of us.
