Eugene Vindman set to run for open House seat in Virginia

Eugene Vindman, the twin brother of retired US Army Col. Alexander Vindman – one of the high-profile witnesses during former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment – is set to announce plans to run for Congress, according to a source familiar with his plans.

Vindman will be looking to succeed Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District. The third-term Democrat announced earlier this week that she was running for Virginia governor in 2025 and would not be pursuing reelection to her House seat next year.

Vindman has already launched a fundraising page for his nascent campaign.

Semafor was first to report on Vindman’s plans.

The open-seat race for Virginia’s 7th District is expected to be competitive. President Joe Biden would have won the seat under its current lines by 7 points in 2020, while Spanberger won a third term last year by 5 points.

Spanberger was first elected in 2018, unseating GOP Rep. Dave Brat in what was then a central Virginia seat, anchored in the Richmond suburbs. The district became friendlier to Democrats after the most recent round of redistricting and now includes more of the Washington, DC, exurbs.

Several Republicans have already announced bids for the seat, including Army veteran Derrick Anderson, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for the seat in 2022.

The 7th District is one of two House seats in Virginia that will be open next year. Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton announced in September that she would not seek reelection in the 10th District in the DC area, citing health concerns.

CNN’s Renée Rigdon contributed to this report.