Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger won a second term in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, narrowly beating state lawmaker Nick Freitas.
Virginia’s 7th Congressional District was a longtime Republican stronghold until it shifted to Democratic hands in 2018, when Spanberger, a former CIA officer, won the seat. The Associated Press called the race on Sunday for Spanberger.
Spanberger is on the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, where she is chairwoman of the Conservation & Forestry Subcommittee.
Republicans sought to take the seat back this cycle by running Nick Freitas, a Republican delegate in Virginia’s General Assembly. Following his military career in the Army, in 2009, Freitas led local GOP campaigns in Virginia for several years before running for office himself.
In 2016, voters in Virginia’s 7th District voted for Donald Trump, 50% to 44%, over Hillary Clinton. However, the region became more Democratic in the last few years. Former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a Republican, previously represented the district until 2014 when he lost in the primary to upstart challenger Dave Brat, a college professor.
Brat, a tea party activist and later a House Freedom Caucus member, lasted only two terms in Congress. Spanberger beat him 50% to 48% during the 2018 midterm elections — a Democratic “blue wave” election cycle.
The suburban Richmond district is in the center of the Commonwealth and includes municipalities such as Amelia, Culpeper, Goochland, Nottoway, Orange, and Powhatan counties, and regions of Chesterfield and Henrico counties.
