Former special forces soldier seeking to flip Virginia House seat lands veteran GOP lawmaker's endorsement

FIRST ON FOX: Former U.S. Army Special Forces Green Beret and combat veteran Derrick Anderson has landed another prominent endorsement in his bid to flip one of the nation's most competitive House seats from blue to red.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., a former helicopter pilot for the U.S. Navy, announced Friday that she will support Anderson's bid to represent Virginia's 7th Congressional District. Currently held by Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., the district is one of the GOP's top 2024 targets to try and strengthen the party's narrow majority in the House.

"I am honored to endorse Derrick Anderson who is running to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District," Kiggans said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Derrick’s commonsense conservative approach is exactly what Washington needs. As a fellow veteran, I know Derrick will work tirelessly to advocate for a strong military and the mission of strengthening our great nation."

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Offering his appreciation for Kiggans' support, Anderson told Fox News Digital that the congresswoman has proved that sending a "fighter to Congress pays off" for the commonwealth. 

"I appreciate the support from Congresswoman Kiggans, a fellow Virginia veteran," he said. "Congresswoman Kiggans has proven that sending a fighter to Congress pays off for our state, and I look forward to working closely with her to help Virginia grow and prosper."

"There’s so much to do right now — we have to secure the border, fight inflation and spending, restore America’s standing in the world, and the list goes on and on. I’m ready to hit the ground running and bring conservative values to Congress," he added.

In addition to Kiggans, Anderson has received endorsements from several other veterans currently serving in Congress, including Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., a former Navy SEAL; Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., an Army veteran; Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a former Green Beret; and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a former Army Ranger.

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Anderson, who served in the Army from 2006 to 2014 and deployed on six tours of duty throughout the Middle East as part of the Global War on Terror, launched his congressional campaign in September. He first ran for the seat in 2022 but narrowly lost the Republican primary to former congressional candidate Yesli Vega.

Spanberger, a former CIA operative, went on to defeat Vega in the general election by just under 5%, securing her third term. In November, Spanberger announced she would not be seeking re-election to her post in the House and would instead make a run for governor of the state.

Anderson is one of nine candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the district.

Republicans currently hold a slim three-seat majority in the House of Representatives and are hoping to build on that next year, partly by capitalizing on the unpopularity of President Biden. The party gained control of the chamber following the 2022 midterm elections, but performed well below expectations.

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The GOP, however, has become increasingly concerned following Republican candidate Mazi Pilip's loss to former Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., in the special election to represent New York's 3rd Congressional District. That election was held after nearly all Democrats and 105 Republicans voted to expel then-GOP Rep. George Santos late last year.