Exclusive: Speaker Johnson Endorses Special Forces Green Beret Derrick Anderson in Virginia’s 7th District

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) (R) meets with British Foreign Secretary David Ca
Win McNamee/Getty
Wendell Husebo

Derrick Anderson, U.S. House candidate for Virginia’s Seventh District, earned House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) endorsement on Thursday, Breitbart News exclusively learned.

The endorsement is the second one from Republican House leadership this month. House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) endorsed Anderson on December 12.

The endorsements are significant because Anderson is seeking to win potentially one of the most expensive swing seats in the nation:

  • VA-07 saw the ninth highest amount of money raised among all candidates in 2022.
  • VA-07 was tenth in amount of money spent among all candidates in 2022.
  • Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) won with 52.21 percent of the vote in 2022.
  • Anderson lost the GOP primary by fewer than 2,000 votes in 2022.
  • VA-07 is an open seat in 2024. Spanberger will run for governor of Virginia.

“I’m endorsing Derrick Anderson because he’s fought for his country as a Special Forces Green Beret and he’s clearly ready to fight again as a Congressman,” Johnson told Breitbart News.

“Derrick was born and raised in Virginia’s 7th District, which means he understands exactly what the district needs. Derrick will outwork his opponents and flip this critical seat in the fight to grow the Republican Majority in the U.S. House,” he continued. “I’d ask that Virginians join me in supporting Derrick Anderson for Congress – we need more good people like Derrick in Washington.”

Derrick Anderson

Derrick Anderson (Derrick Anderson for Congress)

Anderson is a native of Virginia’s Seventh district (Spotsylvania County) and a graduate of Courtland High School. After graduating from the Corps of Cadets at Virginia Tech and receiving his J.D. from Georgetown Law, he became a Special Forces Green Beret with six tours of duty overseas, including Afghanistan and Iraq. He also served in the U.S. Army’s Old Guard.

Anderson’s military career encompassed training with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and training operations related to Hamas’s terror tunnels. He is an outspoken voice against the terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas as well as the wave of antisemitism that followed.

“Speaker Johnson is fighting Joe Biden’s failed policies across the country and I appreciate his support,” Anderson told Breitbart News. “I also respect his tenacious advocacy for conservative principles of limited government, strong national defense, and freedom and liberty. I look forward to working with Speaker Johnson as the next representative of Virginia’s 7th District in Congress.”

Follow Wendell Husebø on “X” @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.

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