Republicans pick new nominee to replace Garrett for Virginia’s 5th District

Virginia Republicans selected a former Air Force officer and craft distillery owner as their nominee to replace retiring Rep. Tom Garrett (R-Va.).

Multiple news outlets reported that the 5th Congressional District Republican Committee selected Denver Riggleman as its nominee during a meeting on Saturday.

Riggleman is a former Air Force intelligence officer, consultant for the Department of Defense and co-owner of the Silverback Distillery in Nelson County, Va. He briefly campaigned for governor in 2017.

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The Daily Progress reported that Riggleman won the nomination when he received a majority of support from the committee after four rounds of voting. 

He will face Democrat Leslie Cockburn in the November election.

If elected, Riggleman said he will join the House Freedom Caucus, of which Garrett is currently a member.

Garrett announced last week he intends to retire at the end of his term and seek treatment for alcoholism. The announcement came less than a week after he told reporters he had every intention of running for reelection.

The 5th Congressional District encompasses parts of southern and central Virginia, and includes the city of Charlottesville. A Republican has represented the district since 2010.