Virginia Del. Barbara Comstock has declared victory in the Republican firehouse primary to succeed retiring Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.).
Comstock won with about 54 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results released by 10th District Republican committee.
{mosads}With Saturday’s nod, the former Wolf staffer is set to take on Democratic Fairfax County Supervisor John Foust to represent the 10th Northern Virginia district, which is being watched as an indication of the national mood.
“It is an honor and a privilege to win my party’s nomination for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District and follow in the footsteps of my mentor, Congressman Frank Wolf,” Comstock said in a statement.
“Now is the time for all Republicans to unite and pool our resources together to defend this seat from Nancy Pelosi’s hand-picked candidate.”
Comstock was the heavy favorite heading into Saturday, with support from Republican establishment figures in the state as well as prominent national conservatives like former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.).
In a statement, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said that Comstock “has what it takes to win in November and I have no doubt that Virginia families will decide she’s the advocate they need in Congress.”
“Throughout her life in public service, Barbara has advocated for her community and will surely continue Rep. Frank Wolf’s commonsense approach to governing in Congress,” he added.
Comstock was first elected to the state’s House of Delegates in 2009, and represents a part of Loudon and Fairfax Counties. In 2012, she served as a state advisor for Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel assailed Comstock in a statement Saturday.
“When she was in Richmond, Barbara Comstock went along with all the radical ideas of her fellow Republicans, and she will do the same with her reckless and irresponsible party in Washington,” he said.
“Comstock rubberstamped Republicans’ attacks on women and families while opposing commonsense solutions to grow our economy, like the transportation bill. From the shutdown to the sequester, Comstock’s Republicans inflicted tangible damage on Virginia families with their reckless ideology – and Comstock’s own record proves she would be part of the problem.”
The firehouse primary allowed voters in the district to vote at just ten polling places, compared to more than 150 that would be open in a regular election. Polls were also open for just five hours, a condensed schedule that was expected to reduce turnout and allowed for the possibility of an upset in the race.
The unusual circumstances were a compromise between the state and the Virginia Republican Party.
The battleground district is considered a top target for Democrats, who are looking for any chance they can to win back the GOP’s lead in the House.
In the 2012 election, Romney carried the district on the edges of suburban Washington by just 1 percentage point against President Obama.
Wolf is the longest serving member of Virginia’s congressional delegation and announced his retirement in December, after 17 terms in Congress. At the time, he said he would leave Congress to work to further human rights and religious freedom.
This story was updated at 7:57 p.m.