A Special Forces Green Beret veteran is joining the race to flip Virginia's 7th Congressional District from Democratic control, stating that he "could no longer remain silent on the sidelines."
Republican Derrick Anderson, a veteran who served six tours in the Middle East during the war on terror, is entering what is shaping up to be one of the House's most competitive races in 2024. The seat is currently held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA).
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Anderson told Fox News Digital that he is running to bring leadership back to the district.
"I have spent my life serving this country overseas, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq," Anderson said. "Watching President Biden and Washington Democrats squander 22 years of sacrifices made by our service members and their families was the final straw for me."
He added, "President Biden and career politicians are putting politics and their own gains in front of fighting for what’s best for the American people: safer streets, better-paying jobs and cheaper goods, a secure border, and an education system that teaches our children how to think, not what to think."
Anderson served in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2014. He has prior experience running for national office, after launching a bid for Congress in 2022. He lost in the primary to former Republican congressional candidate Yesli Vega, whom Spanberger narrowly beat in the 2022 midterm elections.
In June 2024, Anderson will face five other Republicans in the primary, including other veterans like former Navy SEAL Cameron Hamilton. Republicans have blasted Spanberger for her perceived soft-on-crime approach and for always voting for Democratic policies despite her self-described position as a moderate Democrat.
Virginia's 7th Congressional District is one of several House seats being targeted by the Republican Party as the GOP hopes to secure a wider majority in the lower chamber of Congress. Spanberger has not made an announcement on whether she will run for reelection.
However, there are reports that she is considering running for governor in 2025, as Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) terms out after this year. Virginia's 7th Congressional District is considered a swing seat, so an absence of Spanberger could give Republicans an edge in 2024.
Anderson said on Monday that he believes he is the candidate that will push Republicans to victory in the district.
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"Though I no longer wear a United States Army uniform, it does not mean I can no longer serve this nation. I pledge to be the representative the people of Virginia's 7th District deserve and are owed," he said. "I will run a tireless, heartfelt, and genuine campaign the people of the 7th District, the place that raised me, can be proud of."
The Washington Examiner reached out to Anderson and Spanberger for comment.