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Dorothy McAuliffe said Wednesday that she will seek a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s newly drawn 7th District, a plan tied to whether voters approve a proposed congressional map on April 21. The former first lady said she is putting her name into a Democratic primary expected to include multiple candidates while redistricting remains under legal and electoral review.
In a statement, McAuliffe said the next representative should have a record of delivering and should focus on reducing costs for families. She also said she would work to increase access to affordable healthcare and said she would “never back down” from holding Donald Trump and ICE accountable.
McAuliffe said she expects the race to be conducted in the 7th District if the redistricting measure is approved by voters. She described the district as stretching from Arlington to western Augusta County, with many voters living just outside Washington, D.C.
Virginia voters are weighing the constitutional amendment to create a new congressional map on April 21. If the measure is adopted, the proposed plan would also produce four new congressional districts intended to favor Democrats, with the 7th District among them.
McAuliffe said she is “looking forward” to campaigning across the district from Arlington to Augusta as well as from Prince William to Powhatan. She said she has long called the area home and framed her candidacy around sharing a vision for the community she said she represents.
McAuliffe served as Virginia’s first lady from 2014 to 2018 and, during that time, pushed for childhood nutrition programs and helped address a backlog of untested rape kits in the state. She later served as the U.S. State Department’s special representative for global partnerships beginning in 2022 under President Joe Biden’s administration.
Before entering the current race, McAuliffe had weighed a congressional bid in 2017 but ultimately opted against it while considering a challenge to then-Rep. Barbara Comstock. This week’s announcement places her in an already crowded Democratic primary for the newly drawn district.
The Democratic field in the proposed 7th District already includes Dan Helmer, a four-term state delegate, and J.P. Cooney, a former federal prosecutor who served as a deputy to special counsel Jack Smith and was fired by Trump, according to the reporting. State Del. Elizabeth Guzman has also said she is weighing a run.
McAuliffe and other candidates would have an opportunity to adjust their plans if the redistricting effort is not approved or is thrown out by the state Supreme Court, the reporting said.