Yugene Vindman, a Democrat of Lake Ridge, who’s running to replace Abigail Spanberger (D) in Congress, is calling for a review of Virignia’s State Flag, one of the most unique in the world.
Vindman apologized after a photo posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed him posting with the Confederate State Flag of Virginia. It notes, “While monuments to the confederacy have been coming down and roads glorifying traitors are being renamed around the commonwealth, we need to look at all symbols that represent this tragic history, including our current banner which, frankly, too closely resembles the Civil War version.”
The Vindman campaign asked the person who posted the photo to remove it, and he complied. Afterward, he said the “average person would not know the difference” between the two flags.
Virginia has one of the most unique flags anywhere. On it is the state seal adopted in the 1700s, which shows a woman, representing Roman virtue, standing over a slain king, sword in hand, with the words “sic semper tyrannis,” meaning “thus [death] always to tyrants.”
The version adopted by the confederates, used during the Civil War from 1861 to 1865, has a few notable differences, such as colors and a breastplate on the woman standing over the king. On the current version of our flag, the woman’s breast is exposed, leaving the Virginia State Flag as the only one in the U.S. to display not only a dead man but also nudity.
Vindman posed with Virignia’s Confederate State Flag last weekend after speaking at a conference about his home county of Ukraine in Washington, D.C. The photo, subsequent apology, and calls to review the state flag’s design have led both Democrats and Republicans to take to social media to condemn Vindman’s calls for changing the beloved state flag.
“The Commonwealth is my home – the place that raised me,” Derrick Anderson, a Republican vying for his party’s nomination to run for the 7th District seat, posted to X. “Don’t dictate to Virginians to change our flag because of your massive mistake and disrespect.”
“My first ever retweet of the Young Republicans,” Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas posted to X. The staunch Democrat served as leader of Virginia’s “Blue Brick Wall” during this year’s General Assembly session, working to block Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s legislative agenda, including a failed attempt to move the Washington Wizards basketball team from Washington, D.C., to Alexandria.
My first ever retweet of the Young Republicans ? https://t.co/XBV9qDvNOW
— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) April 16, 2024
Vindman, a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, has made his campaign a referendum on Trump. He’s raised nearly $2 million, mostly from out-of-state contributions.
Vindman, Clifford Heinzer, of Stafford, and Carl Bedell, of Greene County, are white men seeking the party’s nomination, while most of the Democrats in the 7th District race are black women. At voter forums, Democrats have questioned Vindman’s involvement in the state and local state Democratic Party apparatchik and why he won’t step aside and allow a black woman to be the front runner.
Voters will head to the polls for a June 18 Primary Election to decide the candidates for the Democratic and Republican parties. All eyes will be on congressional races in Northern Virginia this year, as seats in the 7th and 10th Districts have no incumbents.
The three-term Spanberger, who holds the 7th District seat, will run for governor in 2025, while three-term Jennifer Wexton (D) in the 10th is retiring for health reasons.
The Virginia 7th includes Stafford, Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, and the big prize, voters in densely populated eastern Prince William County. Virginia’s 10th Congressional District includes western Prince William County, Loudoun, Fauquier, and Rappahannock counties.
Eugene Vindman has apologized for posing for a photo while holding the Virginia State Flag adopted by the Confederate state government during the Civil War.
Potomac Local was the first to report on the photo on Monday, April 15, 2024. Vindman asked the person who posted it to X, formerly Twitter, to remove it from the social media platform.
According to the Democrat, a congressional candidate who seeks to replace Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th District (Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg) in a June 18, 2024, Primary Election, he posed for the photo after delivering a keynote speech at the Ukrainian Action Summit in Washington, D.C.
“Unbeknownst to me, in one of these pictures was a flag of Virginia spanning the Civil War era. When I glanced at the flag, I did not link it to the Civil War era. When I realized this mistake, I directed my team to reach out to this attendee to ask him to take the picture down, as it in no way aligns with any of my core values and background. I apologize,” Vindman wrote in a statement on X.
Democrats and Republicans were quick to criticize Vindman today on social media. The most notable, Virignia State Senator Louise Lucas, posted on X, “How could someone who wants to represent us be so ignorant of our history?”
Other Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the 7th District race chimed in, too.
“One thing you’ll never see me do is pose for a picture with a Confederate flag,” said a former Virginia House of Delegates member, Elizabeth Guzman.
“It’s disheartening to see that someone who wants to represent so many people of color pose behind a confederate flag,” said Andrea Bailey, another Democrat seeking the nomination and a Prince William County Board of Supervisors member.
Republican Derrick Anderson, who’s in a race of multiple Republicans seeking that party’s nomination, said, “Yet another reason why this newcomer isn’t fit to serve Virginia’s 7th District.”
Vindman has raised more than $1.7 million in the race to replace Spanberger, more than any other Democrat or Republican seeking the congressional seat. Much of that cash has come from out-of-state contributors from places like California and New York.
The 25-year Army veteran, originally from Ukraine, was a crucial witness in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. He continues to campaign on that fact, all the while facing criticism from members of his party for being a political newcomer and from residents who question his intentions of being a white man running against a field of black female Democrats.
During a Democrat voter forum at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Government Building in Woodbridge on March 27, 2024, a white man asked Vindman, “Currently, our Congressional representative is a white woman. Do you think it’s time to pass that torch to someone of color? And considering we have so many strong women of color running for this seat.”
“I’m an immigrant, and I’m Jewish, fleeing a bigoted communist regime. So I understand those perspectives,” Vindman responded.
Vindman has also been criticized for not being active locally in the Democratic Party. Delegate Joshua Cole asked, “I’m sorry – who is this? I’ve never seen this person in our area. At. All.”
During the March 27 forum, Vindman, currently a Prince William County resident, defended himself, saying he has lived in the 7th District since 2016. “My kids have gone to school here. I think for Northern Virginia, I qualify as a long-term resident since I’ve been here since 2016 in this transitory community,” said Vindman.
The three-term incumbent Spanberger announced her run for governor of Virginia in 2025. She seeks to replace Glenn Youngkin (R), whom the Virginia State Constitution prohibits from seeking a second term.
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A photo of Eugene Vindman holding a confederate state flag of Virginia appeared on X, formerly Twitter.
Vindman, a Democrat and a 25-year Army veteran was a key witness in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. He is running to replace Abigail Spanberger (D) in the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 7th District, which includes Prince William, Stafford, and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg.
Vindman and others are holding the flag used by the Confederate Virginia State Government from 1861 to 1865. The flag is similar to the Commonwealth flag used today, with a few noted differences. There are some color variations, the woman representing Roman virtue is fully clothed, and the king tyrant on the ground is looking up at the woman.
Today’s Virginia flag shows the woman’s exposed breast and the king tyrant lying dead on the ground.
A total of 11 Confederate states adopted state flags during the Civil War. The original X post with the photo of Vindman holding the flag has been deleted.
“Colonel Vindman served our country abroad and by standing up to Donald Trump’s corruption, so the notion that he would stand by any sort of Confederate flag is absolutely absurd,” Jeremy Levinson, a campaign spokesman, told Potomac Local News.
Vindman, a Lake Ridge resident and political newcomer, has raised $1.75 million in campaign contributions — more than any other Democrat or Republican in the race. A Primary Election on June 18 will decide which Democrat and Republican candidate will compete for the seat during the November 2024 General Election.
The majority of Vindman’s campaign donations have come from outside of the state. The Federal Election Commission sent a letter to Eugene Vindman’s campaign last month asking for clarifications on his end-of-year finance report about many unitemized donations, reports the Virginia Scope.
Levinson told Potomac Local News that Vindman is focused on the 7th District, has participated in multiple Democratic voter candidate forums, and has attended numerous fundraisers inside the homes of supporters who live there.
The three-term incumbent Spanberger announced her run for Virginia Governor in 2025, seeking to replace Glenn Youngkin (R), whom the Virginia State Constitution prohibited from seeking a second term.
Derrick Anderson formally kicked off his campaign for Congressional Senate of the 7th district on Friday, April 5, 2024.
Speaking to a crowded room at Highmark Brewery in Stafford, Anderson was introduced by US House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Delegate Tara Durant also spoke to the crowd.
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Expressing his gratitude, Anderson said, "I appreciate the support from these dedicated public servants. I look forward to fighting alongside them to improve the lives of Stafford County residents."
Anderson, who grew up in Spotsylvania County, emphasized his commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the community, attributing them to what he referred to as "Biden's failed presidency." He outlined his campaign's focus on taking on key issues, including securing the border and restoring America's standing in the world.
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Yesli Vega will not seek the Republican nomination for the 7th District Congressional race.
Vega was the party nominee in 2022 for the seat now held by Abigail Spanberger. She told Potomac Local News that she endorsed Hamilton at the Prince William County Republican Committee meeting.
Vega began a second term on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors this month.
It’s the latest in a series of endorsements for Hamilton, including the backing of Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Hamilton is married, a father of three, a Navy SEAL combat veteran, and a former Homeland Security division director with a military and public service background.
During his military career, he served in SEAL Team Eight and completed four overseas deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Following an honorable discharge after 10 years, Cameron worked at the U.S. Department of State, supporting crisis response teams and the Bureau of Counterterrorism. His responsibilities included protecting congressional delegations and Ambassadors at U.S. Embassies and Diplomatic Missions. Later, he joined the Department of Homeland Security as the Director of the Emergency Medical Services Division, overseeing EMTs, First Responders, and Operational Medical Programs.
With a bachelor’s degree in health science, Cameron has extensive international experience, serving in over 35 countries under four different Presidential administrations. He and his family live in Orange, Virginia.
Virginia’s 7th Congressional District includes all or part of 10 counties, including Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, King George, Orange, Madison, Greene, and Albermarle. It also includes Fredericksburg.
It’s an open seat this year after incumbent Democrat Abigail Spanberger announced she would not seek reelection and instead will run in 2025 to become Virginia’s next governor at the end of Glenn Youngkin’s term (Virginia is the only state in the union that does not permit incumbent governors from serving consecutive terms).
Spanberger, who worked as a federal law enforcement officer and a CIA officer before entering politics, was first elected to the 7th District seat in 2018.
In her 2022 matchup with Vega, Spanberger won 53% of the vote. Vega won eight of the 10 counties in the district, including Stafford and Spotsylvania. But she lost Prince William County, the most populated county in the district. Prince William voters are credited with giving Spanberger the win.
Hamilton is one of eight Republicans vying for the seat.
Eight Democrats- Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, Margaret Franklin, Brianna Sewell, and Elizabeth Guzman, from Prince William County, and Clifford Heinzer, of Stafford County- also seek the seat.
Virginia’s Presidential Primary is on March 5, 2024. Early voting by mail and in-person is now underway. You can find your polling place here.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D, Va. 7th) press release: "U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today voted with a bipartisan majority of the U.S. House of Representatives to authorize U.S. Department of Defense funding levels, increase troop pay, and help set the nation’s defense priorities."
"The House-passed fiscal year 2024 (FY24) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes a 5.2 percent pay increase for U.S. servicemembers. Additionally, the bill includes two Spanberger-led provisions to crack down on dangerous fentanyl trafficking by transnational criminal organizations and modernize the United States’ security classification system."
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Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D, Va. -- Prince William, Stafford, Fredericksburg): "Across Virginia, USPS serves as a vital lifeline. Virginians rely on a strong USPS to deliver not just seasonal cards and heartfelt gifts, but also lifesaving medications and important customer orders. Since we relaunched our USPS survey last week, more than 1,200 Virginians have shared stories — of essential medicines getting lost in the mail, payments to business owners or goods to customers not arriving, late fees being charged when bills arrive past-due or payments are delayed in transit, and so much more."
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Two elected officials in our region - Senator Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William, Stafford) and Stafford County Board of Supervisors Garrisonville District Supervisor Dr. Pamela Yueng (also serving as board chair this year) won't seek higher office.
Both elected officials told Potomac Local News they would not seek the 7th Congressional seat, encompassing eastern Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Culpeper, Greene counties, and Fredericksburg.
