How the Jan. 6 Hearings Are Landing in One Virginia Swing District: NPR

- Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., speaks before President Joe Biden talks about prescription drug costs at the Daniel Tech. Center of Germanna Community College – Culpeper Campus, Feb. 10, 2022. Crowded GOP congressional primaries in Virginia’s 2nd & 7th districts, on Tues., June 21, 2022, will settle who takes on centrist Democrats Elaine Luria & Spanberger in November’s general elections, which in turn could help determine which party controls the U.S. House.
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- June 21, 2022. Ed.

Kimberly Berryman lives in the countryside outside Fredericksburg, Va., but drives 20 miles to the suburbs to do her shopping. She keeps a cooler in the trunk to keep her corn cold as she travels from store to store, trying to find the best deals on groceries. For Berryman, it's worlds away from the hearings about the Jan. 6 insurrection going on at the U.S. Capitol. "I got other things to do," she said with a laugh. Berryman, who works with special needs students, said she was shocked and scared by the attack at the Capitol. But she said she's more worried about price hikes and supply shortages than litigating Jan. 6. "Just move on to something else," she said.

Berryman said she usually votes for Democrats, including Abigail Spanberger, who currently represents the competitive 7th Congressional District in Congress. But Berryman said she'll consider voting for a Republican if they do a better job addressing her concerns about high prices. "There are people out here that really can't afford it. And I'm one of them," she said. Voters like Berryman are testing whether Democrats can focus attention on the Jan. 6 committee's findings, while also convincing voters they're trying to address issues like rising prices. Their ability to balance that may determine if the party can get its coalition to show up in the November midterms. (See Graph, U.S. House, Va. Districts).

The 6 Republicans running in Tuesday's primary to take on Spanberger face a different challenge with the hearings. There's not a clear frontrunner, but the leading candidates have played down the Jan. 6 attack and won't say whether they would have voted to certify the 2020 election. And they've rushed to align themselves with former President Trump in a redrawn district that now leans more Democratic. Mike Ongstad, a former Republican staffer who is now a spokesperson for the pro-democracy group Renew America, conceded those views may not in and of themselves disqualify the GOP candidates in the eyes of voters. Renew America has backed Democrats like Spanberger, as well as a smaller clutch of Republicans, including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney.

Spanberger argues she's addressing both concerns. She regularly touts her bipartisan bona fides and collaboration with Republicans, including recent legislation designed to prevent future baby formula shortages and another bill to recruit more truckers to address supply chain issues. "In addition to that, I'm focused on our democracy, the health of our democracy, and ensuring that something like we saw on Jan. 6 doesn't ever occur in the future," Spanberger said. Still, the 2-term Democrat wouldn't say whether she supports a second run by President Biden. "I'm focused on November '22, and continuing to serve my constituents," she said.

The 6 Republicans vying to take on Spanberger have worked to pin her to Biden...

- More, https://www.npr.org/2022/06/21/1105982631/virginia-7th-congressional-district-spanberger-january-6th-hearings
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- GOP hopes to carry Virginia success into US House races, AP News, June 19, 2022.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A GOP sweep of Virginia’s 2021 statewide elections — and particularly Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s win — appears to have energized the Republican field in two of the country’s most competitive U.S. House races. Tuesday’s crowded Republican congressional primaries in Virginia’s 2nd and 7th districts will settle who takes on centrist Democrats Elaine Luria and Abigail Spanberger in November’s general elections, which in turn could help determine which party controls the U.S. House.

Virginia Republicans like their chances. Along with the party’s resurgence last fall, a redistricting process that refashioned Virginia’s congressional maps and a national political environment viewed as highly unfavorable to the party in power are also seen as factors that have led to vigorous GOP competition for the seats. “The climate is so god-awful for Democrats. I mean, it’s the worst maybe since 2010, maybe even worse. Republicans feel very emboldened,” said John Whitbeck, a former Republican Party of Virginia chairman...
https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-virginia-richmond-government-and-politics-congress-16d65c29d8f9978df2218f63af68c46c



- Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin -R. 2022.