Democrat and former Trump official Eugene Vindman wins House race | US elections 2024

Democrat and former Trump administration official Eugene Vindman won his House race against Republican and former Army Greenbeard Derrick Anderson in Virginia's 7th Congressional District, marking an important victory for the Democrats, who are clinging to the last glimmers of hope of regaining the majority in the House.

When the Associated Press called the race at 6:24 p.m. ET on Wednesday, nearly 24 hours after polls closed in Virginia, Vindman Anderson was leading Anderson by two points in the Seventh District, which stretches from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., to more rural counties to the west and west extends central parts of the state.

With his victory sealed, Vindman will now replace Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, who chose to run for governor rather than seek re-election when the new House met in January. While the seat doesn't represent a boost for Democrats, Vindman's defeat would have doomed the party's overall prospects of winning the House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority.

Vindman first came to national prominence after he and his brother Alexander Vindman played a central role in Donald Trump's first impeachment trial. The Vindman brothers, who both held senior positions on Trump's National Security Council, were fired after raising concerns about the then-president's alleged efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter.

Vindman's notoriety helped him build a powerful fundraising campaign that propelled him to victory in a crowded Democratic primary and ultimately led to a victory Wednesday.

Although his history with Trump boosted Vindman's prospects as a first-time candidate for political office, he did not mention that record often on the campaign trail, instead focusing on issues such as abortion access and the possible overhaul of civil service if Republicans win outright should gain control of Congress.

“I was a military member, but I feel for the civil servants who work hard every day for the American people, and they are just doing their job and being demonized,” Vindman told the Guardian last month.

As a member of Congress, Vindman will now help his Democratic lawmakers check the power of Trump, who was declared the winner of the presidential race early Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Anderson's campaign strategy modeled itself on that of Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia, by trying to shift voters' attention from the controversial right-wing manifesto “Project 2025” to issues such as immigration policy and the high inflation during Biden's early presidency. But Anderson's strategy failed as Virginia voters gave Vindman a narrow victory.

Despite Vindman's success, Republicans still appear poised to retain control of the House. In the remaining uncalled races, Republicans have a small but significant advantage. As of Wednesday evening, the AP had called 205 House elections for Republicans and 190 for Democrats. The successful party needs 218 seats to secure a majority in the House of Representatives.

If Republicans retain control of the House after already relinquishing control of the Senate, they will have broad power to implement Trump's legislative agenda.