House Republicans are aiming to flip in November Virginia's 7th District seat that is currently held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), who announced late last year that she would not seek re-election and instead plans to run in 2025 to be the commonwealth's next governor.
Leading the way for the GOP in that regard is former U.S. Army Green Beret combat veteran Derrick Anderson, who reportedly raised approximately $300,000 to support his campaign in the final quarter of 2023, according to the Washington Examiner.
Anderson, who served multiple combat tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq during his time as an Army Green Beret soldier, initially received a sizeable influx of cash for his nascent campaign when it was first launched in mid-September last year.
Now, with the addition of the funds raised over the final three months of 2023, the Republican candidate's campaign coffers are reported to exceed $460,000, propelling him to the front of the pack of those seeking to replace outgoing Rep. Spanberger in her soon-to-be vacant congressional seat.
In a statement to the Examiner that coincided with the announcement of his fourth-quarter fundraising haul, Anderson said, "This election will determine the future of our state and country and I need all the support I can get to win."
"I’m running to fight for Virginia’s 7th District by securing the border, taking on Joe Biden’s failed policies, and restoring America’s standing in the world," he added. "I deeply appreciate the support our campaign has earned so far, and I look forward to bringing more people on to Team Anderson!"
NEW:
Our campaign just announced that — thanks to our fantastic supporters — we raised $300k in the 4th quarter of 2023.
We’ve raised $460k in the last 3.5 months.
This means we’ll have the resources to be competitive and fight for Virginia’s 7th District!
Read more in the…
— Derrick Anderson (@DerrickforVA) January 18, 2024
In September, Fox News reported on the launch of Anderson's campaign to, at that point, oust former CIA agent-turned-Congresswoman Spanberger from her seat representing Virginia's 7th District.
Saying he could "no longer remain silent on the sidelines," Anderson told the outlet at that time, "I have spent my life serving this country overseas, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Watching President Biden and Washington Democrats squander 22 years of sacrifices made by our service members and their families was the final straw for me."
"President Biden and career politicians are putting politics and their own gains in front of fighting for what’s best for the American people: safer streets, better-paying jobs and cheaper goods, a secure border, and an education system that teaches our children how to think, not what to think," he continued.
"Though I no longer wear a United States Army uniform, it does not mean I can no longer serve this nation," Anderson added. "I pledge to be the representative the people of Virginia's 7th District deserve and are owed. I will run a tireless, heartfelt, and genuine campaign the people of the 7th district, the place that raised me, can be proud of."
Though there had been some speculation about a gubernatorial run at the time that Anderson launched his campaign to remove and replace Rep. Spanberger in Congress, she didn't make that planned move official until several months later.
According to the Cook Political Report, the congresswoman's decision to run for governor in Virginia instead of seek re-election to Congress resulted in the state's 7th District -- which was a +7 Biden district in 2020 -- shifting from "likely Democrat" to "lean Democrat," meaning the odds were now better for Republicans to achieve their goal of flipping that particular seat from blue to red.
It will likely never be known for sure whether Spanberger's decision to run for governor instead of re-election to Congress was based on the strong initial showing of Anderson's campaign to replace her, though it likely was a factor to some extent.
