Republicans hope to flip Virginia seat held by Rep Eugene Vindman, whose brother testified in first impeachment trial
Douglas Ollivant decisively beat two fellow political newcomers in the Republican primary contest to take on incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., in November.
Vindman, whose twin brother is a high-profile foe of President Donald Trump, currently represents Virginia’s 7th Congressional district, a seat previously held by the state’s Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
The Republican primary race between Ollivant, Rick Smithers and Philip Harding was unique in that none of the candidates had held elected office before, though two have government experience. The lack of reliable polling made it difficult to foretell who would emerge triumphant — but Ollivant ran away with victory, earning 56.6% of the vote compared to Harding’s 30.7% and Smithers’ 12.8%.