President Trump on Thursday endorsed Virginia Republican Rep. Dave Brat in his reelection race this November against Democratic Abigail Spanberger.
Trump tweeted that Brat is “one of the hardest working, and smartest, people in Washington. He is strong on the Border, Crime, the Military, our Vets and the 2nd Amendment. He is a powerful vote for MAGA and loves the Great State of Virginia. Dave has my Total Endorsement!”
Brat thanked Trump in a statement:
Under this administration and Republican-led Congress, Virginians are seeing more jobs, higher take-home pay, and more opportunities for our kids graduating from school. The Republican-passed tax cuts combined with regulatory relief from the administration equals a strong economy for Virginia. With all this economic growth, we can’t afford to go back to the failed policies of Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama.
Brat, a former economics professor, is running neck-and-neck against Democratic challenger Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA official and federal law enforcement officer for the U.S. Postal Service.
Brat is a member of the pro-Trump House Freedom Caucus led by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC).
RealClearPolitics describes the race for the Virginia 7th District congressional seat as a “toss up.” The district went for Trump in 2016 by a margin of 6.5 points, and for Mitt Romney in 2012 by a margin of 10.5 points.
Brat ousted former Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) — who was then House majority leader — to secure the Republican Party’s nomination for Virginia’s 7th District, subsequently defeating his Democrat opponent by over 23 points in the general election.
Robert Kraychik contributed to this article.