Virginia’s Seventh District is a small slice of the state, but the Congressional race there is drawing a lot of attention. Democrats think they can pick up the seat in the 2018 midterms. But first they have to choose a candidate.
The two Democratic contenders for the 7th District faced off in a forum Thursday night in Henrico County. The winner of the June primary will take on Dave Brat, an economics professor and tea party darling.
In addition to the Democratic candidates an Independent who will be running on the ballot, Helen Alli, also participated.
Both Democratic candidates seem to think attacking Brat is a winning strategy. Abigail Spanberger is a former CIA officer. She recalled going to one of Brat’s town halls.
“Our elected representative was far more interested in lecturing than he was in listening. And as a constituent in the 7th District - that bothered me,” Spanberger said.
Spanberger’s opponent Dan Ward is a former Marine who grew up outside Culpeper.
“And Dave Brat is a yes man to Donald Trump and it’s time for us to step up and stop what’s going on in Washington D.C.,” Ward said.
Virginia voters elect representatives in all eleven congressional districts in November. The Cook Political report has highlighted four districts as competitive, including the 7th.
The 7th District includes suburbs west of Richmond, north to Culpeper and south to Nottoway.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
