Eugene Vindman keeps open Virginia House seat in Democratic hands

Democrats will keep the battleground Virginia seat being vacated by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), who is leaving Congress to run for governor, Decision Desk HQ projects.

Democrat Eugene Vindman, a former Army colonel, defeated the GOP candidate, Derrick Anderson, a former Army Green Beret, in a contest that had been considered a “toss up” right up to Election Day. 

Vindman’s victory denies Republicans an enticing pickup opportunity in a sprawling district in north-central Virginia that spans the far suburbs of Richmond, Charlottesville and Washington, D.C.

Vindman is the twin brother of Alexander Vindman, who played a central role in the first impeachment of then-President Trump in 2019.

Republicans framed Vindman as a staunch partisan and were hoping his association to the impeachment would alienate moderate voters to the benefit of Anderson — particularly in a district where Spanberger had grown her popularity around a reputation for bipartisan consensus building. 

But it was always going to be a tough climb for Republicans. President Biden won the 7th District by almost 7 points in 2020. And Vindman enjoyed a large cash advantage throughout the cycle, outraising Anderson $15.6 million to $2.8 million, according to OpenSecrets.