Virginia State Senator Jeremy McPike (D-Prince William) confirmed on Wednesday he will not run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07), who earlier this month announced she would not seek re-election and would instead run for governor. McPike noted Virginia Democrats’ “slim majorities” in the Virginia General Assembly amid Democrats’ promises to be a “brick wall” preventing the agenda of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).
My career has always been focused around service. It’s why I ran in the first place. While I won't be running for Congress, I look forward to continuing to serve and fight for Virginians in the Senate. pic.twitter.com/FAz29nRVQv
— Sen. Jeremy McPike (@JeremyMcPike) November 29, 2023
In a post to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, the senator said he looks “forward to continuing to serve and fight for Virginians in the Senate.” Revealing he was urged to enter the House race, McPike (pictured above) stated “for now, with our slim majorities in the General Assembly, I will continue to fight to improve the lives of everyday Virginians.”
His remarks come following Democratic victories many have called a “blue wall,” which stems from a previous promise from State Senator Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) that Senate Democrats will “be the brick wall against Youngkin and the Republicans,” according to NBC 29, quoting UVA Center for Politics spokesman J. Miles Coleman.
Following the Republican Party of Virginia’s loss of the Virginia House on November 7, the governor indicated in a press conference that he will pursue bipartisan legislation with Democrats on mental health, education, public safety, and other “areas where over the course of the last two years we have come together on a bipartisan basis.”
Democratic Speaker-designee Don Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth) signaled he was ready for a relationship “reset” with Youngkin on November 10, but that offer may have been jeopardized when, just over a week later, the General Assembly released plans to push through partisan legislation.
Among Democrats’ plans for the upcoming legislative session are changes to the state Constitution to enshrine access to abortion and automatic restoration of voting rights for felons, as well as laws seeking to ban AR-15-style rifles and raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
A number of Democrats have already entered the race for Spanberger’s seat, including Margaret Angela Franklin, who is on the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, Delegate Briana Sewell (D-Nokesville), and Eugene Vindmann, the twin brother of Alexander Vindmann, who was the whistleblower that provoked the first impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
Youngkin is term-limited and cannot seek another term as the commonwealth’s governor. Rumors of a forthcoming presidential run were seemingly ended by the Republicans’ loss of the Virginia House of Delegates, but Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) recently claimed in an email to donors that Youngkin may challenge him in 2024.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jeremy McPike” by Jeremy McPike.
