Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) has won reelection against former police officer and Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega.
The battle for Virginia’s Seventh Congressional District has been one of the most anticipated in the country.
With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Spanberger leads Vega 50.97 to 49.03, or leading by just over 5,000 votes, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
It had remained a toss-up for most pollsters, including Cook Political Report, and RealClearPolitics. University of Virginia-based Sabato’s Crystal Ball, however, gave Spanberger a slight advantage going into Election Day.
Spanberger’s win is disappointing for Republicans who saw the district as a solid pick-up opportunity.
As Breitbart News reported, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) swept Spanberger’s district along with Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) and Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) in last year’s election.
After the Old Dominion’s results trickled in, it became clear that Youngkin won her district by 15.4 percent, showing a nearly 17-point swing in the Republicans’ favor.
These results motivated the National Republican Congressional Committee to target Spanberger’s district, along with the districts of Virginia delegation members Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA), as possible pick-up opportunities.
Vega was pushed heavily by Youngkin, Earle-Sears, and Miyares leading up to Election Day with multiple rallies.
Spanberger’s win may mean fewer Republican wins across the country than expected, perhaps stopping the hoped-for “red wave.”
The Virginia Democrat, a former CIA officer, has served since 2019 and branded herself as a moderate independent-type, despite voting along Democrat Party lines 100 percent of the time.
Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.