March 15, 2018 – Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday endorsed state Sen. Jennifer T. Wexton, one of seven Democrats running for the party’s nomination to challenge Rep. Barbara Comstock (R) in a congressional race targeted by both major parties.
Northern Virginia’s 10th District is expected to be among the most competitive in the nation.
The district includes Loudoun County and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties, as well as Clarke and Frederick counties to the west. As the closest thing to a battleground district in the region, it attracts more than its share of activists and donors. It’s a swing district long represented by a Republican in the House, despite consistently being won by Democrats in statewide and national races.
Northam’s support could give Wexton (Loudoun) a boost in the district, which he won easily in last year’s gubernatorial election — widely seen as a referendum on President Trump. In the 2016 elections, Trump lost in the district by 10 points, despite Comstock winning it by six.
Northam presided over the state Senate as lieutenant governor during Wexton’s Senate service.
“I saw her tenacity on the Senate floor where we fought together to expand Medicaid and stood up to the gun lobby,” Northam said in a statement. “From the Virginia Senate to my campaign for Governor, Jennifer Wexton has always had my back and I know she will fight even harder for Northern Virginia families.”
Wexton, the only elected official running in the Democratic primary, is a former prosecutor with roots in Loudoun County, where most Democrats in the district live.
In addition to Northam, Wexton was endorsed by Democratic Reps. Gerald E. Connolly and A. Donald McEachin.
“I have seen firsthand the dedication the Governor has to the people of Virginia,” Wexton said in a statement, “and I look forward to continuing our partnership to better serve Virginia families when I am in Congress.”