Welcome to the end of summer, and the launch of the November Congressional election.
Since the primaries that settled the candidates in June, the District 7 race has not really taken hold in the community writ large owing mostly to what was happening with the presidential race.
- The Attempted Assassination of Former President Donald Trump – This horrendous episode on July 13 rightly stopped the political conversation for a short time (See “For a Time, We Came Together” and “The Course We Are on Has to Change”) and forced a bit of self-reflection. It also seemed to bring about the cementing of Donald Trump’s dominance in the race for the White House.
- Biden Drops Out – A week later, President Joe Biden stepped aside and opened the door for Kamala Harris to run as the Democratic Party’s candidate for president.
- Polls Flip – In the weeks since, a presidential race that was shaping up to be a clear runway for Trump has become competitive. And the energy seems to be swinging the Democrats’ direction, for now. (See “Kaine Kicks off in Spotsy.”)The Republican Party convention is past, and the Democratic Party convention will be over come Thursday night. And as of this morning, we are 78 days away from the election.
Virginia will, again, be closely watched nationally. District 7, our local race that features Republican Derrick Anderson and Democrat Eugene Vindman, and District 10, which pits Republican Mike Clancy against Democrat Suhas Subramanyam, are rated competitive races by VPAP.
While the Advance appreciates the national interest in these two races, our focus will continue to be on the candidates themselves, their platforms, and how each would serve the communities of District 7 should they win.
Covering the Election
The Advance has since its inception focused not on the horse race aspect of the election, but the human aspect. Who are the candidates? Why are they running? What are their policy positions? And what are their visions for the future should they win?
That will hold true for the election ahead, as we look toward in-depth reporting on the candidates’ backgrounds, and interviews with each.
Why not pay more attention to the polls?
In important ways, the polls tell us little beyond what we already know. The 7th District is highly competitive. When redistricting happened last, the 7th was intentionally drawn to be competitive. It pits urban Northern Virginia against rural Western and central Virginia; long-time Virginia residents against incoming residents; high-tech businesses against small-town communities.
Just how close the district is was revealed in the 2022 election, which Abigail Spanberger (D) won over Yesli Vega (R) by a relatively comfortable margin (52.2% vs. 47.6%). The margin was comfortable because Spanberger made dramatic inroads in both Stafford and Spotsylvania.
As we noted the day after primary night, Vindman’s path to victory rests on holding or building upon those gains; Anderson’s path rests on bringing Republicans in Spotsylvania and Stafford back into the fold.
For both candidates, that means really understanding those swing voters who, though small, will have a significant impact on the race.
Traditional political wisdom holds that the presidential race has an outside influence in our local races. Count us skeptical.
Whether the issue be values, transportation, wi-fi connections, mail service, education, train safety, or any of the other issues that affect our region, District 7 voters are dialed in to what their representatives in Congress are doing for the district.
The candidate who can best address those issues will likely be sitting in Washington come January.
And the Advance will be here to help you hear the candidates explain in their own words what they will do.
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