EXCLUSIVE — Republican Derrick Anderson launched his first TV advertisement promoting his candidacy in the general election for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, emphasizing the divisive nature of politics and his military background.
In the ad first shared with the Washington Examiner, Anderson promises to be an “independent leader” for Virginia in a swing district currently held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA). Spanberger is running for governor in 2025 and will not seek reelection to her House seat that she’s held since 2018, with Republicans adding the 7th District to their list of races they hope to flip in the 2024 election.
“We hear it every day. America’s more divided than ever,” Anderson says in the video.
“When I led men and women in combat, nobody had a red or blue jersey on,” he continues. “We all wore America’s uniform with pride.”
Anderson, a Green Beret veteran, beat out four other GOP challengers during the primary and will face Democratic retired Army Lt. Col. Eugene Vindman in the general election. Vindman and his brother, Alexander Vindman, are known for being the key whistleblowers that led to former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment.
Eugene Vindman recently came under scrutiny after his sister-in-law, Rachel Vindman, deleted a social media post downplaying the second alleged attempted assassination of Trump.
“No ears were harmed. Carry on with your Sunday afternoon,” she wrote in a since-deleted Sunday post on X.
Anderson called out Eugene Vindman for his sister-in-law’s post in a comment to X.
“Yevgeny Vindman’s family/political advisors made horrible statements about the 2nd Trump assassination attempt,” Anderson said, using Eugene Vindman’s first name, Yevgeny. Eugene Vindman was born in Ukraine.
The Republican hopeful has received endorsements from several key House GOP figures, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA). He has also received the backing of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), and others.
“I’m proud and honored to be running to represent the people of the 7th district, my home, the place that raised me,” Anderson said in a statement. “Our district needs common sense, sensible leadership to make sure our economy gets back on track, our borders get secured so our communities are safer, our veterans are looked after, and America can once be a country our enemies fear, and our allies can count on.”
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Anderson added that Eugene Vindman is “running on his past” while his campaign looks toward the future.
“He will lie time and time again on TV and on social media while refusing to debate me, but I know the voters of the 7th are informed and thoughtful, and I will fight every day to earn their support,” Anderson said.