Yevgeny Vindman, a former National Security Council official who reported Donald Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president, is running for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia’s 10th district.
Vindman announced his candidacy on Monday, saying he was inspired by his twin brother, Alexander Vindman, who also testified against Trump in the impeachment trial and was fired by the former president.
“I’m running for Congress because I believe in the promise of America, and I’m ready to fight for it. I’ve spent my entire career defending our nation and our values, and I’m not going to stop now,” Yevgeny Vindman said in a video statement.
Vindman’s campaign would give Democrats a chance to reward him for his whistleblowing and to make the 2024 election a referendum on Trump’s presidency and threats to democracy. Vindman said he would focus on issues such as health care, education, and the environment, as well as protecting the rule of law and the Constitution.
Vindman has received endorsements from several lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, Representative Adam Schiff, and Representative Eric Swalwell, who praised him for his courage, integrity, and experience.
Vindman will face a competitive primary in the Democratic Party, as he will have to compete with several other candidates, including state Senator Jennifer Boysko, state Delegate Kathleen Murphy, and Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn.
The winner of the primary will challenge Republican incumbent Jennifer Wexton, who won the seat in 2018 by defeating Barbara Comstock, a Trump critic. Wexton has been a vocal supporter of the impeachment and conviction of Trump, and has also championed issues such as gun control, immigration reform, and women’s rights.
Vindman is not the only whistleblower who is running for Congress. Reality Winner, a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified information about Russian interference in the 2016 election, is also seeking a Democratic nomination in Texas’s 21st district. Winner was sentenced to five years and three months in prison, but was released early this year after receiving a pardon from President Joe Biden.
Relevant articles:
– Trump Whistleblower Yevgeny Vindman Runs for House Seat, Yahoo News, 11/15/2023
– Trump whistleblower running for key House seat, MSN, 11/15/2023
– Whistleblower Reprisal Investigation: Colonel Yevgeny S. Vindman, U.S …, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, 11/14/2023
– Yevgeny Vindman considering a run for Congress in Virginia – Axios, Axios, 11/4/2023