McPike, Torian, Carroll Foy out of race for 7th Congressional District

The field of potential Democratic challengers to Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the new 7th Congressional District has narrowed as a number of high-profile elected officials have dropped out of the race for the nomination in a Democratic-leaning district that is expected to be highly competitive for Republicans.

Three prominent Prince William County Democrats — Sen. Jeremy McPike, Del. Luke Torian and former Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy — say they won’t run for the nomination in the new congressional district under a map approved by the Virginia Supreme Court that splits the county in half and includes a number of solidly Republican counties outside of Northern Virginia.

“It’s definitely a toss-up,” said Matt Rowe, chair of the 1st District Democratic Committee and a candidate to become chair of the new 7th District party committee in March. “This is probably going to be one of the most-watched races in the country.”

Two other elected Democrats — Del. Elizabeth Guzman and Prince William School Board Chair Babur Lateef — are still considering bids for the nomination to challenge Spanberger, who declared her plans to run for a third term in a new district far from her current home in western Henrico County.

All of them — as well as Del. Hala Ayala — had expressed interest in running for the congressional seat under a redistricting map proposed in early December that included all of Prince William in a solidly Democratic district in Northern Virginia.

Learn more (Times-Dispatch)