State Sen. Amanda Chase R-Chesterfield has made it official: She is scrapping her planned bid for Congress now that the state Supreme Court’s new map has shifted the 7th District from the Richmond suburbs to Northern Virginia.
The court’s new map moves western Chesterfield County into the 1st District, represented by Republican Rob Wittman. Chase said in a statement that she no longer lives in the 7th District and will not challenge Wittman for the GOP nomination in the 1st District.
“I will not challenge a Republican representative who is doing a good job representing the people of their district,” she said.
“With that, I plan to finish my two years in the Senate of Virginia and discontinue my run for Congress as it is already represented by Republican Rob Wittman.”
Chase had said last month that she would not challenge Rep. Bob Good, R-5th, when the Supreme Court released a draft map that would have moved her Chesterfield home into his district. Good is attending a fundraiser on Thursday for Chase’s 2023 Senate re-election bid.
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Chase said she spoke on Monday night to Wittman, whom she said promised to hold a fundraiser this spring for her Senate re-election campaign. State law prevents legislators from raising political contributions during the General Assembly session. The assembly will convene on Jan. 12 for a 60-day session.
Chase’s next opponent is likely another incumbent, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, after the court’s new Senate map put them into the same district.
Chase said Monday she is glad the final congressional map kept western Chesterfield and western Henrico in the same congressional district, even though Wittman lives in Montross, near the Potomac River on the Northern Neck.
“I think that was a good move,” she said in a telephone interview.
Chase last year sought the GOP nomination for governor, finishing third behind Glenn Youngkin, who will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 15.
Before the Supreme Court moved the 7th District out of the Richmond suburbs, 10 Republicans had filed to run against Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, who said last week that she will run for a third term in the new district, even though it doesn’t include her current home in western Henrico County.
Congressional representatives don’t have to live in the districts they represent, but Spanberger has not said whether she plans to move to the new district. She had won twice in the old district.
Chase said she had no intention of moving to the new district to run for Congress. “I’m only going to run in the district I live in,” she said.
At least one other Republican contender, Taylor Keeney, a former aide to Gov. Bob McDonnell, has dropped out of the race because she lives in Goochland County, which is not in the 7th.
State Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, says he will run in the new 7th, which includes parts of Spotsylvania, Orange and Culpeper counties that he already represents in the state Senate. He initially announced plans to run in the 7th, then announced plans to run in a new 10th District when the court issued its draft map, before reverting to the 7th when the court issued the final boundaries.
“I’m eager to continue my service to our community, and I look forward to seeing many old friends again on the campaign trail,” Reeves said.
Two other candidates, John Castorani, of Orange, and Gary Adkins, of Stafford, also have confirmed their plans to run for the GOP nomination in the new 7th.