Democrat Eugene Vindman won Virginia’s most competitive congressional race on Wednesday, defeating his opponent in a blow to the GOP’s hopes of winning the House seat, the Associated Press reports. NBC News has yet to project a winner in the race.

In Virginia’s 7th District, Vindman narrowly defeated Republican Derrick Anderson after conservatives targeted the House seat. Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a three-term incumbent in the district, has decided to run for governor in 2025, filing for a vacancy in the battleground district.

Vindman, despite being a political newcomer, developed a national profile after speaking out alongside his brother during the first impeachment trial of then-President Donald Trump. The former army officer focused his campaign on abortion rights and the threat of MAGA extremism to democracy. Anderson, a fellow veteran and former Green Beret, presented himself as the more affable candidate and focused his campaign on the economy.

The race between Vindman and Anderson quickly became one of the most competitive in the country, with Republicans hoping to make gains in districts where they are not facing an incumbent. The bitter race was full of insults and barbs.

Republicans consistently represented the district for nearly 50 years until Spanberger defeated former Republican Rep. David Brat in 2018.

Elsewhere in Virginia, voters re-elected Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia’s 2nd District, defeating Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal in a victory for Republicans seeking to keep the congressional seat in their battle to control the Chamber.

Democrats had endorsed Smasal in hopes of taking back Kiggans’ seat after Republicans flipped it in the 2022 midterm elections.

Kiggans said in a statement Wednesday that she was honored that voters “have once again chosen common-sense conservatism to represent them in Washington.”

“My priorities have not changed: ensuring a strong economy, protecting our southern border, ensuring our communities and families stay safe, and delivering peace through strength on the world stage,” Kiggans said.

In a statement conceding the race to the Kiggans, Cotter Smasal praised his own campaign for focusing on “essential freedoms and protecting our democracy.” He said his followers “will continue to make their voices heard.”

Kiggans, a 53-year-old former Navy helicopter pilot, sought a second term while facing a challenge from Cotter Smasal, 46, who also served as a Navy surface warfare officer.

The differences between Kiggans and Cotter Smasal mainly drew the national dividing lines between the two main political parties. In a heated debate in October, the two repeatedly portrayed each other as ineffective and supportive of partisan policies that would harm the coastal district. While Cotter Smasal focused his campaign on abortion access and defending American democracy, Kiggans focused on issues such as the economy and border security.

The 2nd has traditionally been a swing district, swinging in recent years between Republicans and Democrats who served in the Navy. For example, former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor was a Republican who represented the district for one term before being defeated in 2018 by Democrat Elaine Luria, a former Navy commander. Luria served two terms before losing to Kiggans in 2022.

All seats in the U.S. House of Representatives were up for election Tuesday, including eight other Virginia districts. Democratic Representatives Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, Jennifer McClellan and Bobby Scott won their seats. Republican Representatives Ben Cline, Morgan Griffith and Rob Wittman also won re-election. State Sen. John McGuire also won Virginia’s 5th District after narrowly defeating incumbent Rep. Bob Good by less than a percentage point in a bitter primary, which led to a recount in August.

Democrat Suhas Subramanyam defeated Republican Mike Clancy in Virginia’s 10th congressional district. Democrats sought to hold on to the House seat that represents a swath of northern Virginia suburbs after incumbent Rep. Jennifer Wexton said she would not run for re-election because she was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy.

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Barakat reported from Falls Church, Virginia, and Finley from Virginia Beach.

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Olivia Díaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.