Vanuch for CD-7 seat; Border security, public safety, restoring energy independence key issues

Editors note: This is the latest in a series of profiles highlighting the candidates running in a June 21 Republican Primary Election in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

Crystal Vanuch, the chair of the Stafford County Board of Supervisors is running in a June 21 Primary Election to become the Republican nominee for the newly redrawn 7th congressional district.

Born in Prince William County and raised in Stafford County, Vanuch believes that her connections to the area make her the best option to run against incumbent Democrat Abigail Spanberger in November. Spanberger has held the seat since 2018.

Vanuch has sat on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors since 2020, where she is serving her second year as the board’s chair. Prior to that, Vanuch served on the county’s Planning Commission.

Those connections include her father who was a retired Prince William County cop and being a product of the Stafford public school system.

Vanuch graduated Magna cum Laude from Virginia Wesleyan University and owns a small healthcare consulting company that helps advocate for patients with rare and chronic conditions to gain access to critical care.

During her tenure on the Board, Vanuch has focused on public safety, worked to root out perceived CRT in the county school division, and called in the National Guard in the aftermath of the crippling January snowstorm that left thousands stranded on Interstate 95.

“In just two and a half, almost three years, I’ve gotten $96 million in transportation funding, $23 million in teacher pay raises. Just this year alone, I took a vote to abolish critical race theory in the schools, and I passed the largest ever pay increase for our first responders. So I’d say that’s pretty good at getting things done in my first couple of years,” Vanuch told Potomac Local News.

Vanuch says ready to take on the task should she be elected, and already has plans to tackle a plethora of issues such as legislation to secure the southern border, energy independence that would restart drilling offshore as well as leasing federal lands for drilling oil and natural gas, restarting the Keystone XL pipeline, creating additional lanes on Interstate 95, and veterans care.

“I want to put forth a veteran’s customer service accountability bill, holding the Veterans Association accountable to their customers, which are our veterans, and alleviating any wait times for veterans to get in if they need to get critical care to access mental health resources, they need to be seen within 24 hours,” said Vanuch.

Vanuch’s experience working in public relations in the healthcare field is also something she feels gives her a leg up on the competition. Capitol Hill, she’s helped companies advocate for patients’ rights and navigate how Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Health Care Act work.

Vanuch said that one of the biggest challenges in the healthcare field right now is the lack of transparency in pricing.

“It is absolutely the only industry where you can buy something and that you have absolutely no idea what it costs. And that needs to be fixed at the federal level. And I am the only one who’s been working on that,” says Vanuch.

Vanuch also believes she is the best person to take on Abigail Spanberger in the election, she touts her connections to the district, her conservative bonafide, and her self-financing of her campaign, with more than a half-million dollars in campaign deposits and donations on hand.

“But at the end of the day, I’m the best person for the job because I’m the only one who has ties to 56% of the district, being born in Prince William and then raised and educated and serving in Stafford, I’m the only one who has never waivered and has a conservative voting record. You can look up every single one of my votes,” says Vanuch.

Vanuch is one of seven Republicans on a Primary Election ballot on Tuesday, June 21. Others on the ballot will include State Senator Bryce Reeves, Yesli Vega, of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, Spotsylvania County Supervisor David Ross, Gina Ciarcia, an educator who ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2021, Derrick Anderson, Green Baret from Spotsylvania County.

Click here to find out if you’re in the 7th Congressional District and see your polling place.