FREDERICKSBURG, Va. — The battle for the 7th Congressional District seat in Virginia is a closely watched race that could help determine who controls the U.S. House.
Democratic incumbent Abigail Spanberger is hoping to win her third term by beating GOP candidate Yesli Vega. Spanberger won each of the the general elections in 2018 and 2020 with just over 50% of the votes. Her campaign centered around her previous work helping constituents, funding law enforcement and supporting abortion rights. Spanberger's campaign team said she is spending the eve of Election Day with volunteers to get people to vote.
Vega, a political newcomer, has drawn attention for her family background, experience as deputy sheriff in Prince William County and fiery speeches that reflect the same ideologies as Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Republicans only need to win five seats to reclaim the House.
"It's not going to be a landslide by any means, but we have Spanberger as a little bit of a favorite," J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said. "This race almost seems more of a proxy war between Spanberger and Youngkin because Youngkin has been a very visible surrogate for Vega."
The election will be the first under the newly redrawn district, which moved the map away from south of Central Virginia including the Richmond suburbs to more up north, such as parts of Prince William County. More rural communities east and west of the I-95 corridor are also now included.
"Had this district been in place in 2020, it would have given Joe Biden 52% of the vote, which is exactly what it gave Glenn Youngkin one year later, so, that to me says there's a lot of voters in the middle who can go to either party," Coleman added. "I don't think it's too much of a strike against Spanberger to be newer to a district where a lot of the residents are new themselves there."
The Spanberger campaign has raised and spent more money compared to Vega. The last campaign filing from Oct.1 to Oct. 19, Spanberger raised $647,769 and spent $901,907. She has cash on hand of $597,712. Vega raised $610,412 and spent $776,324 in the same time period. Her cash on hand left is $256,682.
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