Comment Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the GOP’s most vocal critic of Trump’s policy threats to democracy, has endorsed Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) over Spanberger’s Republican challenger in one of the Virginia’s most important races this year, crossing party lines to lobby for vulnerable Democrats days before the election. In a statement to the Washington Post, Cheney acknowledged that she and Spanberger have policy differences, but said she was “honored” to support Spanberger, describing her as a lawmaker who is “dedicated to working across the aisle to find solutions.” while criticizing Donald Trump. -endorsed Republican challenger, Yesli Vega, member of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors; “We don’t agree on every policy, but I am absolutely certain that Abigail is dedicated to serving this country and her constituents and defending our Constitution,” Cheney said. “Abigail’s opponent promotes conspiracy theories, denies election results she disagrees with and defends the indefensible. We need our elected leaders to be honest, serious and responsible, so I would urge voters in Virginia’s 7th District to support Abigail Spanberger.” A spokesman did not make Cheney available for an interview. A spokesperson for Vega pointed to a previous statement by Vega that she did not believe the 2020 election was stolen by Trump. In Virginia, Candidates in Tight Congressional Races Are Making Ending Races Spanberger is Cheney’s third Democrat in Congress she endorsed this year, a remarkable development for the former leader of the House Republican Conference who has consistently supported conservative politics throughout her career. But since Trump’s pressure campaign to overturn the 2020 election and the resulting Jan. 6, 2021 uprising, Cheney has been willing to put aside ideological differences to fend off Trump-backed candidates and promote others he sees as defenders of democracy. . if they are democrats. Cheney, who lost her Republican primary earlier this year, was ostracized by GOP leaders for her outspoken repudiation of Trump’s false stolen election claims and her service on the House committee investigating the Capitol attack. He campaigned against Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and the Republican nominee for secretary of state, later criticizing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) for flying in to stump for Lake. He formally endorsed and endorsed Democratic Rep. Elisha Slotkin in Michigan over Republican challenger Tom Barrett, and while in Ohio this week said he would support Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan over Trump-backed Jay D. Vance. Spanberger’s opponent, Vega, was endorsed by Trump last week — an endorsement he downplayed — and had previously sympathized with the Jan. 6 rioters as wrongfully persecuted, calling them “a group of people exercising their First Amendment right,” according to with audio the Virginia Democratic Party released early in the campaign a candidate forum on April 20. In a recording of the same forum obtained by VPM, Vega further said that “there is evidence that continues to come out that shows that the 2020 election was interfered with.” He said he would not call the election “stolen.” But the comments also prompted former Virginia Republican Rep. Denver Riggleman to appear in a campaign ad supporting Spanberger, calling Vega’s comments about the election “code language for everyone on the bus to stop stealing.” A guide to the 2022 Virginia general election In an interview with The Post in September, when asked if she recognized President Biden as legitimately elected, Vega replied, “He’s the president of the United States.” She wouldn’t answer yes or no when pressed, claiming the line of questioning was irrelevant to voters in her district worried about the economy. He reiterated that Biden is president and added that “the American people elected him.” Asked what she thought of Trump’s false claims of voter fraud, Vega replied: “I’m not Donald Trump, I don’t know what’s going on in his mind and I can’t speak to what he’s said.” Vega has otherwise avoided discussing Trump, whose unpopularity in suburban Virginia largely fueled the 2018 blue wave. carried Spanberger to the office, along with two other Democratic colleagues, Elaine Luria and Jennifer Wexton, who are now in close races. Cheney has developed a relationship with several of the Democrats with national security backgrounds elected that year, including Luria, who serves with Cheney on the Jan. 6 committee. Spanberger, in fact, said she and Cheney were huddled in the same safe room together as violence engulfed the Capitol on Jan. 6. Speaking at a forum at the Harvard Kennedy School last month, Cheney described Spanberger, Luria, Slotkin and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Penn.) as “women that I might have big disagreements with on some issues, but man, it’s there for the right reason.” “They work hard and I know they want what’s best for the country,” Cheney said, according to the Harvard Gazette. “And I know we can have a discussion and a disagreement and figure out where we agree. These are the kinds of people you can trust with the future of this country.” In a statement, Spanberger said she appreciates that Cheney “consistently puts the safety and security of our country and the defense of our democracy above partisanship, and I thank her for demonstrating principled leadership.” “I am grateful for her support of my re-election campaign, and while she and I may often disagree on policy, we share a commitment to public service, governing with integrity and protecting the strength of our democracy,” Spanberger said. “He understands that my work for Virginia is based on the principle of putting our country first — above party — always.” The race in Virginia’s 7th District is seen as a toss-up, and along with competitive races in Virginia’s 2nd and 10th districts, political analysts see it as a key bellwether to gauge how well Republicans are doing in their bid to take control of Congress.
