WOODBRIDGE, Va. (AP) — Eugene Vindman is a little-known figure who has never run for public office before, but his role in President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial has earned him a cult following among national Democratic activists and propelled him into a leading contender in Virginia’s key House race.
Vindman’s ability to raise money from outside his district has given him an advantage in the seven-person primary in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, surprising other candidates who had established themselves in state or local office before seeking a seat in Congress.
“He doesn’t understand the community. He’s not very integrated into the community. He’s not involved as an advocate for the community,” said Andrea Bailey, one of two Prince William County supervisors running in the race.
The outcome will have national implications in the battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives, where the district is so close that incumbent Democrat Abigail Spanberger is giving up her seat to run for governor in 2025.
Vindman and his twin brother, Alex, are career military officers who gained a degree of prestige and respect among Democrats for expressing Democratic concerns about President Trump’s 2019 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling for an investigation into Biden and his son, Hunter.
Alex Vindman was listening to the calls as a National Security Council staffer assigned to the White House, and was disturbed by what he heard. He turned to his brother, Eugene, who was then an ethics lawyer on the National Security Council. Vindman and his brother reported their concerns to their superiors, which ultimately led to the impeachment of President Trump.
Eugene Vindman said he sees the House race as another avenue for public service after his military service, and while it’s unclear whether his name recognition since his impeachment will translate into political circles, he said voters have embraced him so far.
“My feeling is that everyone knows what Alex and I did. Of course we’re identical twins but everyone knows there are two of us out there and people recognised us. We were stopped a lot by people so I thought there might be support. I just didn’t know what the level of support would be,” he said.
The candidates include four current and former elected officials from Prince William County, a suburban area of northern Virginia that makes up more than a third of the district, stretching from Fredericksburg in the south to Culpeper in the west. All four were instrumental in Democrats’ victories in the county, where Republicans had been locked in fierce battles.
Bailey and Margaret Franklin are on the county’s Board of Supervisors, Brianna Sewell is on the House of Delegates, Elizabeth Guzman defeated a Republican incumbent and has served several terms in the House of Delegates, and the other two, veterans Carl Bedell and Clifford Heinzer, have never held office before.
In general, candidates have sought to distinguish themselves on their experience and backgrounds rather than on policy differences.
“On the core issues, there isn’t a huge gap between my colleagues here and me,” Franklin said at a recent debate, highlighting his experience working as a legislative staffer before being elected county supervisor. “I know how to work across party lines and get things done. … You have to decide on Day One who can most effectively represent your interests.”
Sewell said her longstanding ties to the district, having grown up in Prince William County and having served as a political staffer in local and federal positions in addition to her time as a state legislator, set her apart.
“I’ve been a Virginian my whole life. I’ve literally lived here as a child, and I’m not ashamed of that,” she said.
Vindman, meanwhile, has defended his lack of involvement in local politics, saying his position as an Army officer doesn’t allow him to engage in political activities.
“People who are attracted to my campaign are attracted to the values that I bring to this job — the fact that I fight for priorities, the fact that I sacrificed my military career and lost my military career to stand up to Donald Trump,” he said.
Vindman said he expects “zero learning curve” because he has no political experience, but he said he is unfamiliar with the much-debated issue of federal immigration policy.
In an interview, Vindman said he was unaware of the controversy that has swirled in Prince William County over the implementation of a federal immigration program known as 287(g), which facilitates cooperation between local jails and federal immigration authorities, that was in place in the county from 2007 to 2020.
Sewell, meanwhile, cited the controversy over Section 287(g), as well as the ordinance that dictates how local law enforcement agencies can verify an individual’s immigration status, as the issues that led her to enter politics.
“When I was in high school in 2007 and 2008, my classmates were nervous about coming to school, their parents were nervous about coming to work, school, sporting events,” Sewell said.
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Vindman’s lack of political experience is made up for by his national popularity among activists who are donating in droves to his campaigns.
Vindman’s $3.8 million is roughly four times the amount raised by the other six candidates combined, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
“Even though this is his first time campaigning, his money has made him a celebrity,” Farnsworth said.
Vindman’s military experience will be a plus in a district with strong military ties, but other candidates “will split voters in different directions” who don’t support him, he added.
As a military wife, Bailey said she understands the limitations on political activism that military personnel face, but now that she’s out of the military, she said she needs to take the time to get active in the community before pursuing a political career.
“Eugene Vindman needs to have the opportunity to learn about the community and the people who live there. He was a great citizen,” she said, “but being a leader and representing the United States, you have to be able to make those relationships.”
