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Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (July 18 Republican convention)
- Primary date: June 23
- Primary type: Open
- Registration deadline(s): May 26
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Early voting starts: Pending
- Absentee/mail voting deadline(s): June 23 (return by)
- Voter ID: Photo ID
- Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
2022 →
← 2018
|
| Virginia's 7th Congressional District |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 26, 2020 |
| Primary: June 23, 2020 (canceled) General: November 3, 2020 Pre-election incumbent: Abigail Spanberger (Democratic) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Virginia |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Tilt Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th Virginia elections, 2020 U.S. Congress elections, 2020 U.S. Senate elections, 2020 U.S. House elections, 2020 |
Nick Freitas defeated John McGuire and four other candidates in Virginia's 7th Congressional District's July 18, 2020, Republican Party primary convention. After the third and final round of voting, Freitas received 56% of the delegate vote to McGuire's 44%. For a closer look at reported convention results by round of voting, click here.
The convention was held in-person in Doswell, Virginia, from 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. It was a walk-through event, meaning rather than gathering to conduct the convention, delegates participated as they filed through the building. According to The Washington Post's Jenna Portnoy, of the 5,200 registered delegates, 4,000 were expected to participate.[1][2] Click here to learn more about the convention process.
Freitas, McGuire, and Tina Ramirez led in fundraising. According to campaign finance reports, as of June 28, Freitas raised $1,031,000, followed by McGuire and Ramirez with $670,000 and $374,000, respectively. Additionally, the Club for Growth spent roughly $300,000 supporting Freitas.
Pete Greenwald, Andrew Knaggs, and Jason Alexander Roberge also participated in the convention.
To read more about the general election ballot qualification filing deadline, click here.
Incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) ran for re-election. She was first elected in 2018 after challenging and defeating incumbent David Brat (R), receiving 50% of the vote to Brat's 48%. Spanberger's 2018 election made the 7th District one of 30 House districts represented by a Democrat in 2020 that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. During the presidential election, Trump received 51% of the vote to Hillary Clinton's (D) 44% in the 7th District.[3] Click here to learn more about what's at stake in the general election.
Click on candidate names below to view their key messages:
 Freitas |
 McGuire |
 Ramirez |
This page focuses on Virginia's 7th Congressional District Republican convention. For more in-depth information on the district's Democratic primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primary)
- Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
Election procedure changes in 2020
Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.
Virginia modified its primary election process as follows:
- Election postponements: The primary election was postponed from June 9 to June 23.
- Voting procedures: The witness requirement for absentee voting in the primary election was suspended.
- Political party events: The Democratic Party of Virginia opted to conduct its state convention remotely. The Republican Party of Virginia postponed its 5th Congressional District and 7th Congressional District conventions to June 13 July 18, respectively.
For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.
Candidates and election results
Republican convention
Republican convention for U.S. House Virginia District 7
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Nick Freitas (R) |
 | Pete Greenwald (R) | |
 | Andrew Knaggs (R) | |
 | John McGuire (R) | |
 | Tina Ramirez (R) | |
 | Jason Alexander Roberge (R) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Craig Ennis (R)
- Bridgette Williams (R)
- Mike Dickinson (R)
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[4] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: Virginia House of Delegates (Assumed office: 2016)
Biography: Freitas received a bachelor's degree in intelligence management from Henley-Putnam University in 2015. Before that, he served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and with the Green Berets. Freitas worked in intelligence services. At the time of the convention, he was a defense contracting and intelligence consultant.
Show sources
Sources: Freitas' 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed June 29, 2020, YouTube, "Service," December 2, 2019; Freitas' 2020 campaign website, "Meet Nick," accessed June 29, 2020, LinkedIn, "Nick Freitas," accessed June 29, 2020, The Washington Post, "Va. Del. Nicholas J. Freitas joins Republican race to challenge U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger," December 2, 2019
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Virginia District 7 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Virginia House of Delegates (Assumed office: 2018)
Biography: After graduating from high school, McGuire joined the U.S. Navy, where he served as a Navy SEAL from 1988 to 1998. At the time of the primary, McGuire was the owner of SEAL Team Physical Training, which offered motivational speaking, fitness training, corporate team building, and athletic team building services.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Virginia District 7 in 2020.
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Biography: Ramirez received a bachelor's and a master's degree from Vanguard University. She worked as a staffer for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. At the time of the primary, Ramirez owned and operated Hardwire Global, a religious non-profit.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Virginia District 7 in 2020.
Endorsements
This section lists endorsements issued in this election. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.
| Republican convention endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Freitas | Greenwald | Knaggs | McGuire | Ramirez | Roberge |
| Elected officials | ||||||
| U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)[5] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)[5] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)[5] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)[6] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.)[5] | ✔ | |||||
| U.S. Rep. Daniel Crenshaw (R-Texas)[5] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former U.S. Rep. Tom Bliley (R-Va.)[7] | ✔ | |||||
| Former U.S. Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.)[8] | ✔ | |||||
| Republican convention candidate Andrew Knaggs (R)[9] | ✔[10] | |||||
| Republican convention candidate Tina Ramirez (R)[9] | ✔[11] | |||||
| Republican convention candidate Jason Roberge (R)[9] | ✔[12] | |||||
| Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr.[5] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Black America's PAC (BAMPAC)[13] | ✔ | |||||
| Club for Growth PAC[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Maggie's List[15] | ✔ | |||||
| Tea Party Express[5] | ✔ | |||||
Campaign finance
The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Freitas | Republican Party | $3,670,266 | $3,640,943 | $29,323 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Pete Greenwald | Republican Party | $16,096 | $13,243 | $-421 | As of July 25, 2020 |
| Andrew Knaggs | Republican Party | $180,702 | $180,702 | $0 | As of September 30, 2020 |
| John McGuire | Republican Party | $763,934 | $763,934 | $0 | As of November 23, 2020 |
| Tina Ramirez | Republican Party | $404,044 | $404,044 | $0 | As of December 31, 2020 |
| Jason Alexander Roberge | Republican Party | $9,803 | $9,913 | $0 | As of December 31, 2020 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[16][17][18]
This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.
- Club for Growth Action spent $100,000 on "mailers, field and digital work" supporting Freitas. Politico reported the spending on March 26, 2020.[19] The group spent a total of roughly $300,000 supporting Freitas.[20]
Noteworthy events
Qualification filing deadline
According to Virginia state law, candidates were required to submit qualification forms by June 9 in order to appear on the November 3 general election ballot. Reports emerged after the filing deadline had passed that Freitas did not file in time. According to The Washington Post's Jenna Portnoy, Freitas hand-delivered his forms on June 12.[21] The same day, the Virginia Republican Party contacted the state Department of Elections requesting them to consider granting an extension.[22] "Every year," Portnoy commented, "the state board grants extensions and their next meeting is set for July 7."[21] The missed deadline was to appear on the general election ballot, not the convention, meaning Freitas appeared on convention ballots.[23]
On June 12, Freitas posted the following to his campaign Facebook feed:
| “ | There have been rumors that there is a problem with our filing and we are not going to be on the ballot. This is fake news spread by opponents of mine to cover up for their dirty and desperate tricks that are starting to come to light. Don’t believe the desperate and dishonest attacks from my opponents. Let me assure you that our paperwork is in, our campaign is full steam ahead and you’ll be hearing more from me soon.[24][25] | ” |
McGuire, on his own campaign's Facebook, later posted: "Here are the facts about Nick Freitas' paperwork ... It was due June 9th but wasn't turned in until today June 12th ... The State Board of Elections HAS NOT granted any waiver ... The only fake news and frankly, deliberate misinformation, being spread is by Nick Freitas about a mess of his own making. Can Virginia Republican's really count on #ForgetfulNick to beat Spanberger in November?"[26]
On July 7, the Virginia State Board of Elections voted to allow Freitas an extension to file the necessary paperwork.[27]
On July 14, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee filed a lawsuit against the Board of Elections arguing that Freitas should not appear on the ballot. The group's executive director, Lucinda Guinn, said, "Virginia's election law is clear: to appear on the ballot, you must file before the deadline, or request an extension in a timely fashion."[28]
In response, Freitas' campaign manager, Joe Desilets, said, "Washington Democrats know that Nick Freitas will defeat Abigail Spanberger in November, which is why they have filed this baseless lawsuit in a transparent attempt to scare Republican Convention Delegates."[28]
The lawsuit was dismissed on Aug. 26.[29]
Conventions in Virginia
In Virginia, political parties decide for themselves whether to nominate their candidates via primary or convention. In Virginia's 7th Congressional District, a Democratic primary was scheduled for June 23, 2020, and a Republican convention was scheduled to take place on July 18, 2020. The Republican convention was originally scheduled for April 25, 2020, but Virginia's 7th District Republican Committee voted to change the date of the convention due to concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic.[30]
Convention process
On July 4, 2020, Ben Sloane, chairman of the 7th District GOP, released the official call for the July 18 convention laying out the logistics and guidelines to be followed.
The convention was held at the Meadow Event Park's Farm Bureau Center Exhibition Hall in Doswell, Virginia, from 8:00 - 11:00 a.m. It was a walk-through event, meaning rather than gathering to conduct the convention, delegates filed through the building in order to participate. [1][2]
Following the first round of voting, delegates waited outside for tabulation to determine if additional rounds of voting, conducted in the same manner, were necessary.
The official call said, "All legal and qualified voters of the Seventh Congressional District ... who are in accord with the principles of the Republican Party, and who, if requested, express in open meeting ... their intent to support all of its nominees ... may, as members of the Republican Party of Virginia, be elected as delegates."[2]
According to the The Washington Post's Jenna Portnoy, party officials said that an estimated 4,000 of the 5,200 registered delegates participated in the convention process.[1]
Results
The table below shows the convention vote process by round. Each cell includes the percentage of delegate support. The data is adapted from the reported convention results. Per convention rules, the lowest two vote-getters were eliminated after each round until a candidate received over 50% of the vote.
| Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, July 18 Republican convention results | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | |||
| Freitas | 43.5% | 46.7% | 56.0% | |||
| McGuire | 25.9% | 25.1% | 44.0% | |||
| Ramirez | 23.0% | 24.5% | Eliminated | |||
| Knaggs | 6.0% | 3.7% | Eliminated | |||
| Greenwald | ~1% | Eliminated | ||||
| Roberge | ~1% | Eliminated | ||||
What's at stake in the general election?
U.S. House elections were held on November 3, 2020, and coincided with the 2020 presidential election. All 435 House districts were up for election, and the results determined control of the U.S. House in the 117th Congress.
At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232-197 advantage over Republicans. There was one Libertarian member, and there were five vacancies. Republicans needed to gain a net 21 seats to win control of the House. Democrats needed to gain seats or lose fewer than 14 net seats to keep their majority.
In the 2018 midterm election, Democrats had a net gain of 40 seats, winning a 235-200 majority in the House. Heading into the 2018 election, Republicans had a 235-193 majority with seven vacancies.
In the 25 previous House elections that coincided with a presidential election, the president's party had gained House seats in 16 elections and lost seats in nine. In years where the president's party won districts, the average gain was 18. In years where the president's party lost districts, the average loss was 27. Click here for more information on presidential partisanship and down-ballot outcomes.
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[31]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[32][33][34]
| Race ratings: Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 3, 2020 | October 27, 2020 | October 20, 2020 | October 13, 2020 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | Tilt Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season. | |||||||||
District analysis
- See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index
- See also: FiveThirtyEight's elasticity scores
The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+6, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Virginia's 7th Congressional District the 182nd most Republican nationally.[35]
FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 0.88. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 0.88 points toward that party.[36]
District represented by a Democrat in 2020 and won by Donald Trump in 2016
This district was one of 30 Democratic-held U.S. House districts up in 2020 that Donald Trump (R) won in the 2016 presidential election. Most were expected to be among the House's most competitive elections in 2020.
| 2020 Democratic-held U.S. House districts won by Donald Trump in 2016 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Incumbent | Ran in 2020? | 2018 congressional margin | 2016 presidential margin | 2012 presidential margin | ||||||||
| Arizona's 1st |  Tom O'Halleran |
Yes | Democrats+7.7 | Trump+1.1 | Romney+2.5 | ||||||||
| Georgia's 6th | Lucy McBath |
Yes | Democrats+1.0 | Trump+1.5 | Romney+23.3 | ||||||||
| Illinois' 14th | Lauren Underwood |
Yes | Democrats+5.0 | Trump+3.9 | Romney+10 | ||||||||
| Illinois' 17th | Cheri Bustos |
Yes | Democrats+24.2 | Trump+0.7 | Obama+17 | ||||||||
| Iowa's 1st | Abby Finkenauer |
Yes | Democrats+5.1 | Trump+3.5 | Obama+13.7 | ||||||||
| Iowa's 2nd | Dave Loebsack |
Retired | Democrats+5.2 | Trump+4.1 | Obama+13.1 | ||||||||
| Iowa's 3rd | Cindy Axne |
Yes | Democrats+2.2 | Trump+3.5 | Obama+4.2 | ||||||||
| Maine's 2nd | Jared Golden |
Yes | Democrats+1.3 | Trump+10.3 | Obama+8.6 | ||||||||
| Michigan's 8th | Elissa Slotkin |
Yes | Democrats+3.8 | Trump+6.7 | Romney+3.1 | ||||||||
| Michigan's 11th | Haley Stevens |
Yes | Democrats+6.7 | Trump+4.4 | Romney+5.4 | ||||||||
| Minnesota's 2nd | Angie Craig |
Yes | Democrats+5.5 | Trump+1.2 | Obama+0.1 | ||||||||
| Minnesota's 7th | Collin Peterson |
Yes | Democrats+4.3 | Trump+30.8 | Romney+9.8 | ||||||||
| Nevada's 3rd | Susie Lee |
Yes | Democrats+9.1 | Trump+1.0 | Obama+0.8 | ||||||||
| New Hampshire's 1st | Chris Pappas |
Yes | Democrats+8.6 | Trump+1.6 | Obama+1.6 | ||||||||
| New Jersey's 3rd | Andrew Kim |
Yes | Democrats+1.3 | Trump+6.2 | Obama+4.6 | ||||||||
| New Jersey's 5th | Josh Gottheimer |
Yes | Democrats+13.7 | Trump+1.1 | Romney+3.0 | ||||||||
| New Jersey's 11th | Mikie Sherrill |
Yes | Democrats+14.6 | Trump+0.9 | Romney+5.8 | ||||||||
| New Mexico's 2nd | Xochitl Torres Small |
Yes | Democrats+1.9 | Trump+10.2 | Romney+6.8 | ||||||||
| New York's 11th | Max Rose |
Yes | Democrats+6.5 | Trump+9.8 | Obama+4.3 | ||||||||
| New York's 18th | Sean Maloney |
Yes | Democrats+10.9 | Trump+1.9 | Obama+4.3 | ||||||||
| New York's 19th | Antonio Delgado |
Yes | Democrats+5.2 | Trump+6.8 | Obama+6.2 | ||||||||
| New York's 22nd | Anthony Brindisi |
Yes | Democrats+1.8 | Trump+15.5 | Romney+0.4 | ||||||||
| Oklahoma's 5th | Kendra Horn |
Yes | Democrats+1.4 | Trump+13.4 | Romney+18.4 | ||||||||
| Pennsylvania's 8th | Matt Cartwright |
Yes | Democrats+9.3 | Trump+9.6 | Obama+11.9 | ||||||||
| Pennsylvania's 17th | Conor Lamb |
Yes | Democrats+12.5 | Trump+2.6 | Romney+4.5 | ||||||||
| South Carolina's 1st | Joe Cunningham |
Yes | Democrats+1.4 | Trump+13.1 | Romney+18.1 | ||||||||
| Utah's 4th | Ben McAdams |
Yes | Democrats+0.3 | Trump+6.7 | Romney+37.0 | ||||||||
| Virginia's 2nd | Elaine Luria |
Yes | Democrats+2.2 | Trump+3.4 | Romney+2.3 | ||||||||
| Virginia's 7th | Abigail Spanberger |
Yes | Democrats+1.9 | Trump+6.5 | Romney+10.5 | ||||||||
| Wisconsin's 3rd | Ron Kind |
Yes | Democrats+19.3 | Trump+4.5 | Obama+11 | ||||||||
| Source: Sabato's Crystal Ball and Daily Kos | |||||||||||||
Click here to see the five U.S. House districts represented by a Republican in 2020 and won by Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Five of 133 Virginia counties—3.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Buckingham County, Virginia | 11.28% | 2.43% | 0.87% | ||||
| Caroline County, Virginia | 5.02% | 8.24% | 11.97% | ||||
| Essex County, Virginia | 2.14% | 7.30% | 10.35% | ||||
| Nelson County, Virginia | 5.59% | 2.72% | 9.15% | ||||
| Westmoreland County, Virginia | 7.14% | 6.95% | 10.24% | ||||
Note: Although it is highlighted in the map above, the city of Chesapeake is not considered a county and not included in our calculations as such.
In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).
District election history
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Virginia District 7
Abigail Spanberger defeated incumbent David Brat and Joe Walton in the general election for U.S. House Virginia District 7 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Abigail Spanberger (D) | 50.3 | 176,079 |
 | David Brat (R) | 48.4 | 169,295 | |
 | Joe Walton (L) | 1.2 | 4,216 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 213 | ||
| Total votes: 349,803 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 7
Abigail Spanberger defeated Daniel Ward in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Virginia District 7 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Abigail Spanberger | 72.7 | 33,210 |
 | Daniel Ward | 27.3 | 12,483 | |
| Total votes: 45,693 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Janelle Noble (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 7
Incumbent David Brat advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Virginia District 7 on June 12, 2018.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | David Brat |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent David Brat (R) defeated Eileen Bedell (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced an opponent at the party nominating conventions.[37]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  David Brat Incumbent |
57.5% | 218,057 | |
| Democratic | Eileen Bedell | 42.2% | 160,159 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.2% | 947 | |
| Total Votes | 379,163 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
2014
The 7th Congressional District of Virginia held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. David Brat (R) defeated Jack Trammell (D) and James Carr (L) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | David Brat |
60.8% | 148,026 | |
| Democratic | Jack Trammell | 36.9% | 89,914 | |
| Libertarian | James Carr | 2.1% | 5,086 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.1% | 325 | |
| Total Votes | 243,351 | |||
| Source: Virginia Department of Elections | ||||
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | E. Wayne Powell | 41.4% | 158,012 | |
| Republican | Eric Cantor Incumbent |
58.4% | 222,983 | |
| Write-In | N/A | 0.2% | 914 | |
| Total Votes | 381,909 | |||
| Source: Virginia State Board of Elections "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Eric Cantor won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Rick E. Waugh, Jr. (D) and Floyd C. Bayne (G) in the general election.[38]
| U.S. House, Virginia District 7 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Eric Cantor incumbent |
59.2% | 138,209 | |
| Democratic | Rick E. Waugh | 34.1% | 79,616 | |
| Green | Floyd C. Bayne | 6.5% | 15,164 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.2% | 413 | |
| Total Votes | 233,402 | |||
State profile
- See also: Virginia and Virginia elections, 2020
Partisan data
The information in this section was current as of June 29, 2020.
Presidential voting pattern
- Virginia voted for the Democratic candidate in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Congressional delegation
- Following the 2019 elections, both U.S. Senators from Virginia were Democrats.
- Virginia had seven Democratic and four Republican U.S. Representatives.
State executives
- Democrats held four of Virginia's 13 state executive offices. Elections for the other offices are nonpartisan.
- Virginia's governor was Democrat Ralph Northam.
State legislature
- Democrats controlled the Virginia State Senate with a 21-19 majority.
- Democrats controlled the Virginia House of Delegates with a 55-45 majority.
Virginia Party Control: 1992-2025
Four years of Democratic trifectas • Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | D | D |
|
|
| Demographic data for Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 8,367,587 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 39,490 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 69% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 19.2% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.2% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 8.6% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 88.3% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 36.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $65,015 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 13% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Virginia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
- Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primary)
- Virginia's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
- United States House elections in Virginia, 2020 (June 23 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Virginia, 2020 (June 23 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2020
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2020
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2020
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2020
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 CTPost, "Virginia Republicans to choose nominee to face Rep. Spanberger in Trump district," July 4, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Republican Party of Virginia website, "7th Congressional District Convention," accessed July 15, 2020
- ↑ Daily Kos, ""Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2016, 2012, and 2008,"" accessed June 24, 2020
- ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Freitas' 2020 campaign website, "News," accessed June 30, 2020
- ↑ Facebook, "Nick Freitas," June 15, 2020
- ↑ McGuire's 2020 campaign website, "Former 7th District Rep Tom Bliley endorses John McGuire for Congress," accessed June 30, 2020
- ↑ Fredericksburg.com, "Former Rep. Dave Brat endorses Del. Nick Freitas in GOP contest to run against Spanberger," March 10, 2020
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Bearing Drift, "7th Congressional District Convention Live Coverage," July 18, 2020
- ↑ Knaggs endorsed Freitas on the day of the convention following his elimination after the second round of voting
- ↑ Ramirez endorsed McGuire on the day of the convention following her elimination after the second round of voting
- ↑ Roberge endorsed Ramirez on the day of the convention following his elimination after the first round of voting
- ↑ BAMPAC's website, "Endorsed Candidates (More Coming Soon...)," accessed June 30, 2020
- ↑ Club for Growth, "Club for Growth PAC endorses Nick Freitas (VA-07) For U.S. House of Representatives," December 2, 2019
- ↑ Maggie's List's website, "2020 Candidates," accessed June 30, 2020
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed September 22, 2015
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," November 6, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "Morning Score," March 26, 2020
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedfreitasos - ↑ 21.0 21.1 Twitter, "Jenna Portnoy," June 12, 2020
- ↑ The Hill, "Virginia GOP to pick House nominee after candidate misses filing deadline," June 13, 2020
- ↑ Blue Virginia, "“I’ve confirmed that GOP congressional candidates [Nick Freitas and Bob Good have both failed to file the correct paperwork with” VA Dept. of Elections," June 12, 2020]
- ↑ Facebook, "Nick Freitas," June 12, 2020
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Facebook, "John McGuire for Congress," June 12, 2020
- ↑ Virginia Mercury, "Virginia elections board votes to allow Freitas, Good on ballot despite late filings," July 7, 2020
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "DCCC sues Virginia elections board after panel allowed Freitas, Good to qualify for ballot," July 14, 2020
- ↑ Star Exponent, "Dismissal of suit clears way for Good, Freitas to appear on November ballots," Sept. 1, 2020
- ↑ Richmon Times-Dispatch, "Republicans to decide Spanberger challenger at July 18 convention," May 14, 2020
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
- ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "List of Candidates," accessed September 8, 2016
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
