Current:Home > ScamsVirginia House candidates debate abortion and affordability as congressional election nears-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Virginia House candidates debate abortion and affordability as congressional election nears
View Date:2024-12-23 19:03:37
FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Nearly a month before election day, Republican Derrick Anderson and Democrat Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman attempted to portray themselves as the candidate best fit for Congress on Wednesday in what is shaping up to be Virginia’s most competitive race.
Anderson, a former Army Green beret native of the state’s 7th District, touted his local roots and military service, stressing his desire to represent his community and continue his public service endeavors.
Vindman, an Army veteran who rose to national prominence after contributing to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment alongside his brother, argued that he would be a fierce defender against Republican extremism in Congress.
In a roughly hourlong debate hosted by the University of Mary Washington, the candidates blasted each other’s actions on the campaign trail. Anderson accused Vindman of lying about his military rank and combat experience. Vindman was promoted to colonel, but he retired before being eligible to retain the rank.
“He’s lied about being a colonel — he’s not a colonel,” Anderson said, later adding: “My opponent said that he used weapons of war in combat when knows very well he did not.”
Vindman, in turn, flamed Anderson for “trying to fool the voters in the district about his fake family,” referencing a photo reported by the New York Times of Anderson standing to a woman and her three daughters. Anderson’s campaign said Wednesday that he never claimed the women in the photo were his family, and that Anderson has often posted photos with his actual family.
“If you’re going to portray yourself as a family man so people like you, how can you be trusted on more serious topics?” Vindman said.
The rebukes are some of the latest jabs Vindman and Anderson have made in their battle to win the House seat, which became open after Democratic incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger filed to run for Virginia governor and declined to seek reelection.
Home to some of the fastest-growing counties in Virginia, the congressional district ranges from outer-ring D.C. suburbs to the rural piedmont of central Virginia. Experts say the election could be critical in determining which party will clinch a House majority. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Anderson had raised $1.4 million,and Vindman nearly $7.5 million throughout their campaigns.
Over the course of the debate, Anderson focused on the economy, criticizing President Joe Biden’s economic policies and the lack of affordability in Virginia.
“Are you better off than you were four years ago today?” Anderson said. “I would say the answer is ‘No.’ ”
Vindman emphasized his pledge to protect abortion rights and fend off Republican extremism, making reference to Project 2025, a detailed blueprint for governing in the next Republican administration.
He referenced his daughter, who he argued had fewer rights than the generations of women before her.
Supporters of candidates clapped, cheered, booed and heckled at the candidates throughout the debate. At one point, the moderator told the crowd: “Your job is to be an audience member, not a candidate.”
Before the event, supporters gathered on the university campus, waving signs and donning candidate T-shirts.
veryGood! (35)
Related
- Mega Millions winning numbers for November 12 drawing: Jackpot rises to $361 million
- Melissa Gorga Reveals Bombshell RHONJ Reunion Receipt in Attack on A--hole Teresa Giudice
- Why Tom Brady Says It’s Challenging For His Kids to Play Sports
- Idaho Murder Case: Ethan Chapin's Mom Shares How Family Is Coping After His Death
- Dallas Long, who won 2 Olympic medals while dominating the shot put in the 1960s, has died at 84
- Indiana Supreme Court ruled near-total abortion ban can take effect
- Mother dolphin and her baby rescued from Louisiana pond, where they had been trapped since Hurricane Ida
- 2 Key U.S. Pipelines for Canadian Oil Run Into Trouble in the Midwest
- A pregnant woman sues for the right to an abortion in challenge to Kentucky’s near-total ban
- Mom influencer Katie Sorensen sentenced to jail for falsely claiming couple tried to kidnap her kids at a crafts store
Ranking
- Judith Jamison, acclaimed Alvin Ailey American dancer and director, dead at 81
- Mom influencer Katie Sorensen sentenced to jail for falsely claiming couple tried to kidnap her kids at a crafts store
- How a Farm Threatened by Climate Change Is Trying to Limit Its Role in Causing It
- The Ultimatum’s Xander Shares What’s Hard to Watch Back in Vanessa Relationship
- Princess Kate to host annual Christmas carol service following cancer treatment
- Fact Check: Did Kamala Harris Sue Exxon Over Climate Change?
- Harvard, universities across U.S. react to Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling
- Read full text of Supreme Court student loan forgiveness decision striking down Biden's debt cancellation plan
Recommendation
-
Conviction and 7-year sentence for Alex Murdaugh’s banker overturned in appeal of juror’s dismissal
-
ESPN lays off popular on-air talent in latest round of cuts
-
In Remote Town in Mali, Africa’s Climate Change Future is Now
-
The Petroleum Industry May Want a Carbon Tax, but Biden and Congressional Republicans are Not Necessarily Fans
-
Kevin Costner says he hasn't watched John Dutton's fate on 'Yellowstone': 'Swear to God'
-
Trump’s Weaker Clean Power Plan Replacement Won’t Stop Coal’s Decline
-
Overdose deaths from fentanyl combined with xylazine surge in some states, CDC reports
-
Climate Scientists Take Their Closest Look Yet at the Warming Impact of Aviation Emissions