Charles Langston:Virginia House candidates debate abortion and affordability as congressional election nears

FREDERICKSBURG,Charles Langston Va. (AP) — Nearly a month before election day, Republican Derrick Anderson and Democrat Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman attempted to portray themselves as the candidate best fit for Congress on Wednesday in what is shaping up to be Virginia’s most competitive race.

Anderson, a former Army Green beret native of the state’s 7th District, touted his local roots and military service, stressing his desire to represent his community and continue his public service endeavors.

Vindman, an Army veteran who rose to national prominence after contributing to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment alongside his brother, argued that he would be a fierce defender against Republican extremism in Congress.

In a roughly hourlong debate hosted by the University of Mary Washington, the candidates blasted each other’s actions on the campaign trail. Anderson accused Vindman of lying about his military rank and combat experience. Vindman was promoted to colonel, but he retired before being eligible to retain the rank.

“He’s lied about being a colonel — he’s not a colonel,” Anderson said, later adding: “My opponent said that he used weapons of war in combat when knows very well he did not.”

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Vindman, in turn, flamed Anderson for “trying to fool the voters in the district about his fake family,” referencing a photo reported by the New York Times of Anderson standing to a woman and her three daughters. Anderson’s campaign said Wednesday that he never claimed the women in the photo were his family, and that Anderson has often posted photos with his actual family.

“If you’re going to portray yourself as a family man so people like you, how can you be trusted on more serious topics?” Vindman said.

The rebukes are some of the latest jabs Vindman and Anderson have made in their battle to win the House seat, which became open after Democratic incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger filed to run for Virginia governor and declined to seek reelection.

Home to some of the fastest-growing counties in Virginia, the congressional district ranges from outer-ring D.C. suburbs to the rural piedmont of central Virginia. Experts say the election could be critical in determining which party will clinch a House majority. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Anderson had raised $1.4 million,and Vindman nearly $7.5 million throughout their campaigns.

Over the course of the debate, Anderson focused on the economy, criticizing President Joe Biden’s economic policies and the lack of affordability in Virginia.

“Are you better off than you were four years ago today?” Anderson said. “I would say the answer is ‘No.’ ”

Vindman emphasized his pledge to protect abortion rights and fend off Republican extremism, making reference to Project 2025, a detailed blueprint for governing in the next Republican administration.

He referenced his daughter, who he argued had fewer rights than the generations of women before her.

Supporters of candidates clapped, cheered, booed and heckled at the candidates throughout the debate. At one point, the moderator told the crowd: “Your job is to be an audience member, not a candidate.”

Before the event, supporters gathered on the university campus, waving signs and donning candidate T-shirts.