“I would like you to do us a favor, though…”
It was this “perfect” phone call that thrust Alexander and Eugene Vindman into the spotlight. Here’s a reminder of the call that led to the first impeachment of former President Trump.
The President: I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine, they say Crowdstrike… I guess you have one of your wealthy people… The server, they say Ukraine has it. There are a lot of things that went on, the whole situation. I think you’re surrounding yourself with some of the same people. I would like to have the Attorney General call you or your people and I would like you to get to the bottom of it. As you saw yesterday, that whole nonsense ended with a very poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller, an incompetent performance, but they say a lot of it started with Ukraine. Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible.
President Zelenskyy: Yes it is very important for me and everything that you just mentioned earlier. For me as a President, it is very important and we are open for any future cooperation. We are ready to open a new page on cooperation in relations between the United States and Ukraine. For that purpose, I just recalled our ambassador from United States and he will be replaced by a very competent and very experienced ambassador who will work hard on making sure that our two nations are getting closer. I would also like and hope to see him having your trust and your confidence and have personal relations with you so we can cooperate even more so. I will personally tell you that one of my assistants spoke with Mr. Giuliani just recently and we are hoping very much that Mr. Giuliani will be able to travel to Ukraine and we will meet once he comes to Ukraine. I just wanted to assure you once again that you have nobody but friends around us. I will make sure that I surround myself with the best and most experienced people. I also wanted to tell you that we are friends. We are great friends and you Mr. President have friends in our country so we can continue our strategic partnership. I also plan to surround myself with great people and in addition to that investigation, I guarantee as the President of Ukraine that all the investigations will be done openly and candidly.. That I can assure you.
The President: Good because I heard you had a prosecutor who was very good and he was shut down and that’s really unfair. A lot of people are talking about that, the way they shut your very good prosecutor down and you had some very bad people involved. Mr. Giuliani is a highly respected man. He was the mayor of New York City, a great mayor, and I would like him to call you. I will ask him to call you along with the Attorney General. Rudy very much knows what’s happening and he is a very capable guy. If you could speak to him that would be great. The former ambassador from the United States, the woman, was bad news and the people she was dealing with in the Ukraine were bad news so I just want to let you know that. The other thing, There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution so if you can look into it… It sounds horrible to me.
While Lt. Col. and National Security Advisor Eugene Vindman wasn’t the person listening in on the call (that was his brother Alexander), as an ethics lawyer he was the one who blew the whistle on what happened. He reported the incident up the chain of command like he was trained to do.
What did he get for doing his job? His family was harassed and threatened by pro-Trump supporters. He was fired from his role as a national security advisor by the Trump administration. His promotion from Lt. Col to full colonel was derailed although the rank would have only been honorific.
If that isn’t being a patriot for your country, I don’t know what is!
He isn’t done serving his country either! He’s our candidate for Virginia’s 7th Congressional district, a swing seat on the fringes of the Washington, DC metro area.
The question for Eugene Vindman is whether his patriotic story translates into enough votes for him to hold onto this district.
Like reading election-themed articles? I am continuing a massive series of them each Sunday and Wednesday morning! Make sure to follow #SaveTheMajority and the group Save the Majority so you don’t miss important races down the ballot!
Eugene Vindman is contesting one of the most vulnerable Democratic seats in the nation. He’s a first-time candidate in a swing seat and that always poses a risk. That’s why I’ve included him in a group of 25 incumbents or open-seat races we can help defend. #SaveTheMajority Fund.
Eugene Vindman for Virginia-7
Campaign Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | DONATE | Volunteer
What’s the Big Idea?
Results by county for VA-07 in 2022.
THIS RACE IS A TOSSUP, with a D+1 PVI
This district was one of the first ones to ditch the Solid South Democratic stranglehold, having done so in the 1980s. The Democratic Party was in the wilderness in this seat, as white flight from Richmond proper fueled explosive growth in the district and favored the GOP. Eventually, the House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, was elected, showing how Republican it had become.
One of the biggest political upsets of the last decade happened in this district, when professor David Brat came out of nowhere to shock the Republican establishment to its core in 2014. Cantor had neglected constituent outreach and had worried too much about national ambitions, and Brat succeeded in waging an insurgent campaign against him.
Even though Trump and Brat won the district in 2016, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger spotted an opening during the 2018 blue wave election in this district. She noted the Richmond suburbs were changing, and of course revolting against Trump. Spanberger scored narrow wins in both 2018 and 2020. Biden narrowly carried the old district as well. In 2022, Spanberger had to hop to northern Virginia to keep protecting this district.
The northern Virginia version of the district voted for President Biden by a 52.6% to 45.8% result in 2020. Glenn Youngkin won the area covered by this district 52.0% to 47.7% in 2021, showing that it is a swing seat. Rep. Spanberger also narrowly won this district in her 2022 run, defeating Yesli Vega 52.2% to 47.6%. She retired from Congress this year to pursue the Virginia governorship in 2025.
The districts used in 2020 and 2022 are so different that comparing voting numbers is nonsensical. This district focuses more on northern Virginia than its predecessor, having eliminated the suburbs of Richmond in exchange for the exurbs of the D.C. metro area. The consistent part of the district includes what is called the ‘neck’ of Virginia, which is the territory in between Charlottesville and the D.C. metro area. The independent commission valued competitiveness by putting the very liberal university town of Charlottesville in a different district, so Vindman cannot rely on that tranche of liberal votes to put him over the top.
The district has a TON of government employees, especially in the national security and military establishments. Spanberger was an officer in the CIA before joining Congress. Vindman was a national security advisor. Derrick Anderson (the GOP opposition) is a Green Beret. Their stories are not uncommon amongst families in this district.
Here’s where this 7th district race will be won.
- Prince William County: These suburbs of the D.C. metro area used to vote for moderate Republicans. Since the Obama area, northern Virginia and Prince William County in particular have increasingly supported Democratic candidates without shedding the reputation for moderation. Vindman must run up the score in this area if he is to protect this district from the GOP.
- Stafford County and Fredericksburg: The gangbusters growth in the D.C. metro area has extended out to these exurbs now too. These areas are the swingy portion of the district, where the contest for this district will be won or lost. Vindman must introduce himself to these moderate to conservative voters and win enough of them over to stay in Congress.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
- The Neck of Virginia: These counties of Virginia tend to be conservative and support the GOP over Democratic candidates. Vindman must carry the city of Culpeper, while holding down the score in the surrounding areas if he is to succeed. This will be a tough task because he doesn’t have the power of incumbency that Spanberger had.
- Far D.C. Exurbs: The growth for the D.C. metro area is now spilling over into Spotsylvania and Caroline Counties as well, as those fleeing from the inner D.C. suburbs flee to these red counties looking for something affordable in the area. While there are blue precincts out here, there are many more red ones, so Vindman must keep the margins down in this area or else risk losing the race.
Eugene Vindman: A True Patriot
He is a political neophyte, so he is bound to make mistakes. He’s already made a couple.
Eugene Vindman was born in Ukraine (which was then under the control of the USSR) in 1975. As mentioned in the opening, he has a twin brother named Alexander and an older brother named Len. The family is Jewish and emigrated to the United States when Eugene was 3 years old. They grew up in New York City in the Brighton Beach neighborhood.
Eugene and his brother would both attend SUNY Binghamton and get a bachelor’s degree in history. The brothers enrolled in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Cornell and joined the Army. Eugene spent the first part of his Army career as a paratrooper. Eugene would later earn a JD from the University of Georgia and become a JAG. It is being debated whether or not Eugene saw combat, as there is a discrepancy in his record.
The Vindmans would join the National Security Council in 2016 with Eugene being a deputy legal advisor and Alexander specializing in the Eastern European region. The service they provided to the country before the “perfect” phone call was honorable if not unremarkable. If it weren’t for Trump, the Vindmans would’ve likely retired and faded into obscurity.
Eugene has been busy ever since his firing by the Trump administration. He is deeply involved in the Atrocity Crimes Advisory group which seeks to document and prosecute the war crimes of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Vindman also initiated the Trident Support Project, which aims to set up a weapons maintenance and training facility in Ukraine. It is clear that Eugene cares deeply about his nation of origin and will be amongst the strongest supporters of US assistance to Ukraine if elected to Congress.
Vindman knows what it is like to serve at the whims of a madman. He’s in a unique position to argue against the adoption of Schedule F as outlined in Project 2025. This plan would replace civil servants with Trump loyalists. It’s basically a return to the spoils system of the 1800s. This would decimate northern Virginia’s economy because it is so dependent on those federal government jobs.
Vindman, as a refugee from a dictatorial regime, also knows that democracy is a fragile process that needs strong guardrails and protections. Passing the John Lewis VRA and the Freedom to Vote Act is just the first step. Eugene would also better protect election workers and whistle blowers like himself. You can trust him to stand up to the MAGA minions that cost him his job.
Veterans can trust Eugene to take care of their issues as well. Veterans are at an increased risk of suicide which is why providing mental health care to address their needs is near the top of his agenda. He would also work to improve the transition from military to civilian life for both the enlisted and their spouses. VoteVets has endorsed his campaign and has even hosted events for him.
Vindman is a typical Democratic candidate on the issues and will fit in nicely to the New Democratic Coalition. He also talks about a few surprising issues on his campaign website. To see where he stands just click on the link at the top or the bottom of this article.
Derrick Anderson: Who is This Guy?
Yes, Anderson has served his country as well as a Green Beret. Now he seeks to tear it down.
What do we know about Derrick Anderson? Well, it’s not much. We don’t even know where the guy lives - other than it is somewhere in Virginia.
Derrick Anderson was raised in Spotsylvania County, Virginia to a mother who owned and managed local restaurants. Anderson worked in the kitchen alongside his mother starting at age 14. Like many of my generation, 9/11 was a defining moment and led to him joining the ROTC at Virginia Tech. After graduating with a degree in political science, he joined the military in 2006.
Anderson deployed to Iraq for 15 months as a part of the surge strategy enacted by former President Bush. He would eventually become a Green Beret and further deploy to Afghanistan, Bahrain, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. Once he left the Army in 2014, he went to Georgetown University and obtained a JD degree. He also served in the Trump administration as a part of the National Office of Drug Control Policy.
There is no issues page on his campaign website. According to his Ballotpedia page:
Anderson is campaigning on his military career, saying, "I will stand up for our veterans to guarantee they receive the quality of care and benefits they deserve.” Anderson says the Biden administration’s economic policies have increased the cost of living and that he would address this "by reining in out-of-control spending and reducing waste, fraud, and abuse, which trickles down to American families in the form of higher costs." Anderson says that "the chaos at the border is threatening our communities daily with the endless stream of fentanyl crossing it" and that he would increase funding to law enforcement to address safety.
One issue where Anderson actually has a documented paper trail on is abortion. He claims the Supreme Court “finally got it right” with the Dobbs decision on abortion rights. He also supports the extreme anti-abortion group March for Life, which seeks to unite “pro-life” people to make abortion “unthinkable” in America. It is clear that Anderson has an agenda when it comes to abortion and that agenda is a national abortion ban.
Anderson has also proven himself devoted to former President Trump. Whether it is attacking the rule of law when Trump was convicted or claiming that January 6th wasn’t an insurrection, Anderson parrots the MAGA talking points about Trump perfectly.
He may try to hide behind the fact that he doesn’t take stances on many issues, but what we do know shows that Anderson is no moderate - which is what this district accepts.
How Can You Help?
Eugene Vindman is THE resistlib candidate for the 2024 election. He’s already raised a staggering $7.4M from donors and has spent over $5M of it on his primary election win. He still has a healthy $2.3M cash-on-hand while Derrick Anderson only has $461k to spend. Vindman won’t hurt for money thus he shouldn’t be high on your donation list.
Interestingly enough, the Republicans and their allies have not reserved any airtime for advertisements in either the DC or Charlottesville markets yet. Perhaps they feel that this isn’t a sound investment given all of the places they have to defend. The Democratic Party and their allies are spending a combined $2.4M in those media markets.
There is a recurring canvassing operation for Eugene Vindman every Saturday in Prince William County. The time is 10AM-1PM and the location will be revealed once you sign up.
Eugene Vindman is a first-time candidate, and these types of candidates will make mistakes. Vindman has already made a couple of mistakes in the primary. However, he has the compelling backstory and thus monetary resources to overwhelm his opponent. Still, Daily Kos Elections rates this as the 12th most vulnerable Democratic seat to flipping even as the ratings aggregators average it as “Leans Democratic”.
No one knows who Derrick Anderson is, and that is potentially dangerous. If Vindman doesn’t define him quickly, Anderson will get a chance to claim himself as the “moderate” in the race. Virginia’s 7th district as now drawn supports moderate Democratic candidates but it can flip if Vindman isn’t careful. Even his own polling cannot find him in the lead!
The question for Eugene Vindman is whether his patriotic story and military and national security background translates into enough votes for him to hold onto this district.
Eugene Vindman for Virginia-7
Campaign Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | DONATE | Volunteer
Here is the Save the Majority 2024 Fund on ActBlue! There are plenty of Democratic members of the House that are still vulnerable to being defeated. These 26 members need a boost! Please donate and then share a link to this site on your social media! #SaveTheMajority
