The race to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, which includes the Fredericksburg area, has narrowed.
Incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman has been officially declared the Democratic nominee, as he won’t be challenged by anyone in his party, and the Republican Party of Virginia last week announced that three candidates — Philip Harding, Doug Ollivant and Ricky Smithers — had qualified to appear on the Aug. 4 GOP primary ballot.
The list doesn’t include state Sen. Tara Durant. Durant was unavailable for comment Wednesday, but an aide pointed to recent statements in the media that she was suspending her previously announced congressional campaign to concentrate on running for re-election next year.
Darius Mayfield, who moved to Stafford from his native New Jersey, also decided against running for the GOP nomination after saying he would. He was the Republican nominee in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District in 2022 and 2024, losing both times to Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.
Some political observers were envisioning a Durant-Vindman matchup, and some Democratic leaders had already been sending out press releases denouncing the senator, who represents Fredericksburg and parts of Spotsylvania and Stafford counties.
The contenders
Harding’s campaign website describes him as an “impact-driven entrepreneur, businessman, global speaker and educator dedicated to helping people live out their purpose and create meaningful change.”
He said in a recent Facebook video that he was running because this is a “vital time for our country, both spiritually and ideologically.”
“I’m running for the people of Virginia’s 7th District to represent you, your family, your dreams and our future together,” he said.
Ollivant, who lives in Culpeper County, is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who leads a global consulting firm that “combats corruption and promotes accountability in some of the world’s toughest regions,” according to his campaign site.
“Now running for Congress,” his site states, “Doug is focused on restoring fiscal responsibility, rebuilding American industry, and ensuring food security — while protecting the values that shape both our rural communities and our fast-growing suburbs.”
He has been endorsed by a handful of Republican leaders from the Fredericksburg area.
Smithers lives in Wirtz, which is outside the 7th District. But he can run because House of Representatives candidates don’t have to reside in the area they seek to serve.
The veteran owns a construction company, and is the founder and pastor of a church, according to his Facebook page.
In response to a question on the page about why he’s running in the 7th, he wrote: “What drew me to the 7th District is that it represents so many different kinds of communities and people, and you’re right it’s very diverse. You have rural counties, growing suburbs, small towns, working families, business owners, commuters, and veterans all with different needs. I believe those voices deserve someone who will actually listen and work for all of them.”
Vindman seeks re-election
On the Democratic side, Vindman had announced that he would seek election in a newly redrawn 1st Congressional District, when it appeared it would include some of the localities in the 7th, according to a redistricting plan party leaders wanted to implement.
Voters in a special election in April approved the notion of changing the congressional boundary lines, but the matter was struck down by the Supreme Court of Virginia
So Vindman, a freshman lawmaker, decided to run for re-election to his current seat. He’s also endorsed by a host of Democratic leaders in the Fredericksburg region.
“I am humbled to continue the fight to take on corruption, deliver real results and make life more affordable for every Virginian,” he said in a prepared statement released last week. “As we take this campaign to every corner of our district, I’m focused on earning the support of all voters. I will continue to fight like hell for our military families, federal workers and every working family in the district.”
The Republican primary is Aug. 4. The general election is Nov. 3.
