WASHINGTON 鈥� Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer, has unseated U.S. Rep. David Brat in Virginia鈥檚 7th聽Congressional District, The Associated Press projected Tuesday night.
Spanberger will be the first Democrat to represent the district since 1971.
In a statement on Facebook, Spanberger said in part, “This is what happens when people, not politics, are the focus; when candidates who wish to serve their communities step forward and build races on meaningful dialogue about the issues impacting people鈥檚 lives.”
The Associated Press also projected that the 2018 election will break the record for the number of women in the U.S. House.
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— Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerVA07)
Spanberger is a former CIA officer who also worked for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. In an interview with 海角社区app last month, she said, 鈥淢y background is one of service; my background is one focused on solving problems and ensuring that the U.S. government鈥檚 making well-informed decisions, and I hope to bring that skill set to Washington to serve central Virginia and this country.鈥� She added that Brat 鈥渉asn鈥檛 done a lot for our district鈥� in his time in Congress.
Brat rode Tea Party support four years ago to an upset victory over Eric Cantor, who was the House majority leader at the time. He鈥檚 a former economics professor at Randolph-Macon and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. In a debate in Culpeper last month, he said, 鈥淚鈥檝e ran on the principles that made this country great鈥� and cited the tax cuts supported by President Donald Trump. 鈥淭he tax cuts passed, and this economy is just booming,鈥� Brat said.
The district covers areas from Culpeper County in the north through Spotsylvania, Orange and Louisa through Richmond鈥檚 western suburbs down to Nottoway County.
海角社区app’s Max Smith contributed to this report.
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