Yesli Vega wins GOP primary to face Spanberger in Virginia

Former police officer and Prince William County, Va., Supervisor Yesli Vega is projected to win the Republican primary for the state’s 7th Congressional District on Tuesday, setting up a match-up with incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) in November.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:35 p.m. ET.

Vega leaned heavily into her law enforcement background during the campaign and received notable GOP endorsements, including from Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Ginni Thomas, wife of conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Cruz was in the district on Monday, holding two rallies for Vega. 

Spanberger is considered one of the more vulnerable House Democrats, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates her race as a “toss-up.” 

But the latest redistricting process moved her district closer to Washington, D.C., making it slightly more favorable to Democrats.