Former Special Forces Soldier Enters Political Battlefield

(UnitedVoice.com) – In August, United Voice reported that Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) had voiced her intentions privately to run for governor. If she moves forward with those plans, she won’t run for reelection for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District. The Republican candidate who just announced his intention to run for the seat might make it even harder for Democrats to hold the district.

As a Special Forces Green Beret with six deployments, I am ready to serve in another way: Representing you, the people of #VA07, in Congress.

This is the district that raised me and I vow to be your voice in Washington every single day.

Join me. https://t.co/x1ZtU5mvg6 pic.twitter.com/z7tw08xh9p

— Derrick Anderson (@DerrickforVA) September 18, 2023

On September 18, Republican Derrick Anderson announced his candidacy for the Republican primary for Spanberger’s seat. The conservative is a retired Army Green Beret who served six tours of duty in the Middle East. He spoke to Fox News Digital about his decision to run, saying he couldn’t “remain silent on the sidelines” anymore.

Anderson accused Democrats and President Joe Biden of “squander[ing] 22 years of sacrifices made by our service members and their families,” calling it the “final straw” for him. He accused them of “putting politics and their own gains” before “safer streets, better paying jobs, and cheaper goods.” He claimed the education system isn’t teaching kids “how to think,” it’s teaching them “what to think.” Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) ran on a similar educational platform when he won his seat. The state’s voters were very receptive to it.

Virginia’s 7th Congressional District is going to be one of the most competitive races in 2024. Democrats have held the seat for the last three elections, but prior to Spanberger, who is a former CIA officer, the district was conservative for four decades.

Anderson has run for the seat before. In 2022, he lost the GOP primary to Yesli Vega, who went on to lose to Spanberger by less than 5%. This time, Anderson hopes to go all the way and once again bring the district under the wing of the Republican primary. He has promised to run a “tireless, heartfelt, and genuine campaign” in the district that raised him.