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With less than two weeks to go before the GOP primary in VA-07, Republicans are starting to face a hard truth: They don’t have a candidate strong enough to take on Abigail Spanberger this November.
New reporting from the Washington Post and the Richmond Times-Dispatch highlights how Republicans in VA-07 are left scrambling with no consensus candidate going into the final days of the primary. As Crystal Vanuch, Derrick Anderson, Bryce Reeves, and Yesli Vega all jockey to position themselves as the most extreme, far-right candidate in the race, they’ll continue to disqualify themselves as an option to Virginia voters this November.
“Republicans are slowly coming to terms with the fact that none of their candidates in VA-07 are strong enough to take on Abigail Spanberger,” said DCCC spokesperson Monica Robinson. “No matter which candidate makes it through this bruising primary in VA-07, they’ll be a losing choice for Virginians.”
Washington Post: In Virginia’s 7th, GOP race to take on Spanberger is anybody’s game
By Meagan Flynn
June 10, 2022
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“Bryce Reeves was right at home in Spotsylvania County, but — locked in a tight six-way race in one of the state’s most competitive congressional GOP primaries — the state senator still had to make his case.”
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“Veteran Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth said ideally Republicans will want to elect someone who is a bit more moderate to compete with Spanberger in a year where hot-button issues like abortion and gun policy are likely to dominate. None of the candidates, however, have presented themselves as moderates, Holsworth noted[.]”
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“The candidates have all stressed their opposition to abortion and, in the days after the Uvalde, Tex., mass shooting, strong support for gun rights.”
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“While former president Donald Trump has been largely absent from their discourse, the Virginia Democratic Party indicated it plans to make the Jan. 6 Capitol riot part of the race, highlighting in one ad how all the 7th District GOP candidates said they did not believe the attack on the Capitol was an ‘insurrection.’”
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“[Vega] has since curried favor with some right-wing stalwarts, earning endorsements from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), Corey Stewart and Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas (days after the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas fell under scrutiny for her efforts encouraging White House officials to overturn the 2020 election).”
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“But that same presentation has turned off others. [Vega’s] co-chair on the Latinos for Youngkin Coalition, Daniel Cortez, who identifies as an independent, decided to join Latinos for Reeves, where he serves as co-chair. He said in an interview that Vega ‘needs more experience’ and that he didn’t believe she could appeal to independents.”
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“But having a long record has made [Reeves] vulnerable as well. A couple of voters said in interviews that they were upset about his vote on a bipartisan bill giving schools discretion not to report certain misdemeanors to police.”
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“‘Honestly, I think everyone’s head is spinning right now,’ said one undecided voter, John Buge, outside the GOP meeting at the church in Fredericksburg. ‘It’s going to come down to the last guy that banged on their doors.’”
Richmond Times Dispatch: ‘Jump ball’ for Republicans in crowded 7th District primary
By Michael Martz
June 10, 2022
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“Under a new political map the Virginia Supreme Court approved on Dec. 28, the 7th District now is rooted in Northern Virginia and the fast-growing Fredericksburg region, with a slight Democratic lean.”
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“With six candidates in the GOP field, veteran political scientist Stephen Farnsworth isn’t about to predict a winner.”
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“‘This contest really is something approaching a jump ball for Republicans,’ said Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.”
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“None of the candidates will get an endorsement from Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st, who has represented much of the new 7th District in the old 1st District for 15 years […] although he acknowledged that some candidates have asked for his support.”
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“‘Different parts of the district, different slices of the Republican Party are going in different directions,’ Farnsworth said.”
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“Whoever wins the Republican nomination will need the money to challenge Spanberger, who had raised almost $4.9 million, with $4.3 million on hand on June 1[.]”
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