THE FIGHT FOR THE VIRGINIA HOUSE SEAT BETWEEN TWO ARMY VETERANS GETS TIGHTER


By akirschbaum
The two Veterans vying for the Virginia House seat.

In recent years, numerous Veterans have wanted positions in politics. Some of them run for office for several reasons, such as wanting to pursue their advocacy, the desire for change, wanting to impact the community, and bipartisanship. In this election, two Army Veterans will be pinning against each other for a Virginia House seat. Although they have different advocacies and parties, they have the same goal, which is to serve and to have an impact for the betterment of everyone.

Democrat Eugene Vindman and Republican Derrick Anderson boldly said that the government failed the voters in the district and the whole nation as leaders adopted radical politics. This year's election is a breakthrough for change in the country's future.

Who Are the Two Virginia House Seat Prospects?

Republican Derrick Anderson is a former Army Green Beret and pitches himself as an agreeable prospect due to his way of bringing people in the district together with simple competence. Throughout his campaign, he consistently highlights immigration and the economy. Anderson paints Vindman as a partisan Democrat who wants to gain a Virginia House seat, along with his objections to Vindman's military record and rank.

On the other hand, Eugene Vindman, another candidate for the seat, became well known due to his involvement in helping his brother expose former President Donald Trump for putting pressure on officials to scrutinize the Biden family. Democracy is one of his advocacy points, noting that blowing the whistle against Trump inspired him to run for office; he is advocating for abortion rights and fending off extremism.

Both Anderson, 40, and Vindman, 49, have been in a vote-by-vote crunch in their District, where Vets comprise about 12% of the population. These two Army Veterans had never been elected to office but wanted to make a change for the betterment of everyone. In a competitive environment, both followed their parties' playbooks to win. However, the perspective of these two candidates reflects two distinct strains of voter anxiety: a deeply divided nation and an American democracy.

To win the election is one of the Democrats' goals, as they wanted to take hold of the District, which the Republicans had represented for over 50 years until Spanberger flipped the seat in 2018.

According to the polls, Vindman is leading by over 2% in the recent Ragnar Research Partners survey over Anderson. But anything can happen, as situations may flip; they will end up in a tie, or one will eat up the other. With a few days to go, these two candidates for the Virginia House seat will have to double their time.

The Basics for Running for Congress

If you want to have a Virginia House seat just like the two brave Army Vets, then you need to complete some of the requirements as there is a specific type of person for the job, and winning a seat is a minimal chance.

Some points you need to consider are that some candidates are well-spoken, educated, clever, hard-working, and have the personality to survive politics.

Lastly, a successful candidate would have party support, staff, funding, and a promising political domain on top of the personal strengths they bring to a race. Still, you also need to consider some of the following points.

Complete the State Requirements

To secure a seat, you must meet specific federal and state government requirements. One of these is that all candidates should be 25 and at least 30 to become a senator.

They should hold citizenship for 7 years and reside in the state they want to represent. However, some states also demand prospects to accumulate a certain number of signatures. And, of course, there is a filing fee that they need to pay.

Process the Paperwork

Each candidate must complete a lot of paperwork and submit it to different governmental authorities. Some of the most important include registering for a political party and documenting your finances to the Federal Election Commission once you have raised $5,000 for your campaign.

This must be done 15 days after the money has been accumulated. Lastly, you must provide quarterly financial statements to the FEC before general elections and primaries.

Raise Money

For you to have a successful campaign, you need to raise money to cover all your expenses, just like Republican Derrick Anderson and Eugene Vindman had done.

Start by establishing a fundraising council, creating a flier promoting your candidacy and request for funds, holding a fundraiser program such as dinners, and exhausting the internet for promotion and advertisement.

Share Your Points on Issues

It is vital to share your take on the recent issues facing the country and lay out all the solutions you may have. Aside from this, it is also essential that you work with others to have an organized campaign. This strategy might help get you votes.

Image Source: Derrick Anderson & Eugene Vindman

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