Republican Reeves enters 7th District race

State Senator Bryce Reeves (R- Spotsylvania) announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Friday. The district is currently represented by two-term Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Henrico).

“Under President Trump our economy was humming, people were working, and government did not dominate or intrude in our lives and livelihood,” Reeves said in a press release Friday. “But under Joe Biden and Abigail Spanberger, an intrusive, progressive government is failing us, badly. Spanberger has failed to make the 7th District what it should be – the best place to work, live, and raise a family.”

Reeves, 54, is an insurance agent who was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 2011. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for state lieutenant governor in 2017.

Other candidates already declared for the race include Tina Ramirez and former Bob McDonnell staffer Taylor Keeney. State Del. John McGuire of Henrico also may jump into the race, and state Sen. Amanda Chase is widely known to be considering running for the same seat as well.

Ramirez and McGuire sought the same nomination in 2020 but lost to Del. Nick Freitas (R-Culpeper), who eventually lost to Spanberger.

In his announcement, Reeves accused Spanberger of “coddling up to Nancy Pelosi and the far left.” Spanberger, however, is viewed nationally as one of the most moderate members of Congress and was named the fourth most bipartisan Democrat in the House and the ninth most bipartisan House member overall by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy in May. She previously voted against electing Pelosi as Speaker of the House.

In a call with her Democratic colleagues right after the 2020 election, Spanberger criticized the progressive faction of her party for the rhetoric they use, like defunding the police, which provides ammunition for Republicans to attack moderate Democrats across the country.

Freitas and former Rep. Dave Brat both tried to paint Spanberger as more progressive, but Spanberger increased her margin of victory in 2020 against Freitas compared with that of 2018 against Brat in a historically red district.

Reeves hopes to be the Republican who finally can defeat Spanberger.

“My campaign is about freedom, limited constitutional government and the dignity and worth of every human being,” Reeves said. “As a Christian, a former Army Ranger, and a former police detective, I have dedicated my life to serving others and that is exactly what I will do if the voters give me the honor of serving them in the United States Congress.”

* * *

This article first appeared on VirginiaScope.com. It is republished here with permission.