NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Douglas Ollivant decisively beat two fellow political newcomers in the Republican primary contest to take on incumbent Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., in November.
Vindman, whose twin brother is a high-profile foe of President Donald Trump, currently represents Virginia’s 7th Congressional district, a seat previously held by the state’s Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.
The Republican primary race between Ollivant, Rick Smithers, and Philip Harding was unique in that none of the candidates have held elected office before, though two have government experience. The lack of reliable polling made it difficult to foretell who would emerge triumphant — but Ollivant ran away with victory, earning 56.6% of the vote compared to Harding’s 30.7% and Smithers’ 12.8%.
A voter casts their ballot at a polling location. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
THE BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWNS THIS MONTH THAT YOU NEED TO WATCH
Ollivant is a retired Army officer who served as the National Security Council director for Iraq during the George W. Bush administration. He worked as a national security analyst and consultant after that.
Smithers is a pastor and construction business owner who branded himself as the biggest outsider in the race.
Harding is a businessman with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University. He also earned his graduate degree from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
All three candidates have generally aligned themselves with Donald Trump, though the president did not endorse anyone in the race.
FOX NEWS POWER RANKINGS: DEMOCRATS LEAD IN THE HOUSE, BUT REDISTRICTING KEEPS THE GOP IN THE GAME
According to FEC data, Ollivant had the cash advantage, raising $251,134. Harding raised $125,916 before primary Election Day, and there was no reported fundraising data for Smithers.
Rep. Eugene Vindman is speaking out against the U.S. move to halt some weapon shipments to Ukraine. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Virginia’s 7th congressional district, located in the northeastern part of the state and encompassing Culpeper and Fredericksburg east into Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline and parts of Prince William County, is considered a true swing state.
Vindman, who ran unopposed this time around, won the vacant seat by only three points.
SCOOP: HOUSE REPUBLICANS TARGET DOZENS OF VULNERABLE DEMOCRATS ON EVE OF TAX FILING DEADLINE
As Democrats hope to retain the seat in November, Republicans are eyeing it as a potential flip, which would be a welcome pickup as the GOP fights tooth-and-nail to keep control of Congress, a historically difficult feat for the party in power during a midterm election year.
Vindman’s twin brother Alexander is a longtime foe of Trump. Alexander Vindman is a former military official, and the then-National Security Council Director for European affairs testified against Trump during the first failed impeachment attempt in 2019.
FILE – National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 19, 2019, during a public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trump’s efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo)
Alexander is an ardent defender of Ukraine, and became a central figure of the impeachment attempt, claiming that in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Trump attempted to make military aid for the embattled European nation contingent on an investigation into the Biden family’s involvement in Ukrainian business activities.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Ultimately, the impeachment failed, and both Alexander and Eugene Vindman were removed from the National Security Council.
Alexander Vindman later became a frequent anti-Trump guest on CNN and MSNBC, as well as on the left-wing podcast circuit.