{"id":2646321,"date":"2026-08-18T06:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T10:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meet-the-virginia-veteran-trying-to-flip-abigail-spanbergers-old-district\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T06:43:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T10:43:04","slug":"meet-the-virginia-veteran-trying-to-flip-abigail-spanbergers-old-district","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meet-the-virginia-veteran-trying-to-flip-abigail-spanbergers-old-district\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the Virginia veteran trying to flip Abigail Spanberger&#8217;s old district"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmeet-the-virginia-veteran-trying-to-flip-abigail-spanbergers-old-district%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2646321&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Doug ollivant, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and combat veteran, is running as a Republican candidate for Virginia\u2019s 7th Congressional District to challenge incumbent Democrat Eugene Vindman.Ollivant,who won the GOP primary wiht 56.6% of the vote, is seeking to flip this district, which was previously held by Democrat Abigail Spanberger.The race is considered a key prospect for Republicans, as Vindman only narrowly won his first election with 51% of the vote.<\/p>\n<p>Ollivant, aged 58, was born in Hillsboro, Oregon, and has lived in Virginia for ten years. He attended Indiana University, James Madison University, and Wheaton College, earning advanced degrees from these institutions. He has a distinguished military career, including tours in Iraq, advising in Afghanistan, teaching at West Point, and serving as director for Iraq at the National Security Council. Currently, he leads a consulting firm focused on combating corruption globally.<\/p>\n<p>His campaign emphasizes issues such as affordability, fiscal duty, energy independence, and economic growth through manufacturing. Ollivant advocates for a manufacturing renaissance in Virginia to create local jobs and address high living costs. He links health and fiscal issues, suggesting healthier foods can reduce healthcare costs and help alleviate federal deficits. He also emphasizes the importance of generating more near-demand energy and supports protecting women\u2019s sports, viewing it as an crucial social issue.<\/p>\n<p>On a personal level,Ollivant is a practicing Catholic,married to Sabrina with whom he has seven children and two grandchildren. They live along the Rappahannock River with their chickens and rescue dog. In his free time, he enjoys reading and visiting dog-amiable breweries around the district. The general election is scheduled for November 3.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dougforvirginia.com\/\">Doug Ollivant<\/a>, a retired Army lieutenant colonel and combat veteran, is taking on incumbent <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4472881\/virginia-congressional-democrats-back-redistricting\/\">Rep. Eugene Vindman<\/a> (D-VA) in Virginia\u2019s 7th Congressional District. Ollivant, who is running for elected office for the first time, won the GOP primary on Aug. 4 with 56.6% of the vote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republicans believe the 7th district is their <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4688151\/republican-virginia-7th-district-flip-democratic-seat\/\">best chance<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4688151\/republican-virginia-7th-district-flip-democratic-seat\/\">to flip a seat in Virginia<\/a>, as Vindman only narrowly won his first election to the seat in 2024 with 51% of the vote. The district was previously represented by Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/ideos\/4521519\/voters-remorse-crime-gerrymandering-tax-hikes-abigail-spanberger-virginia\/\">Abigail Spanberger<\/a> (D-VA), before she left Congress to run for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/business\/4532847\/virginia-democrats-spanberger-plummeting-popularity-redistricting\/\">governor<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4690378\/florida-primaries-antisemitism-dsa-republicans-democrats\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Florida primaries test appetite for antisemitism and anti-Israel politics on Left and Right<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4690491\/transgender-rights-fight-raging-massachusetts-senate-primary\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>A Democrat\u2019s apology hasn\u2019t calmed the transgender rights fight raging in Massachusetts Senate primary<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/videos\/4687914\/doug-ollivant-republican-veteran-virginia-7th-district\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Who is Doug Ollivant? Meet the Republican veteran trying to flip Abigail Spanberger\u2019s old district<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The general election is Nov. 3.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what you need to know about the Republican hopeful:<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-age\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Age<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DouglasOllivant\">Doug Ollivant<\/a>, 58, was born on August 29, 1967.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-hometown\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hometown<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Born in Hillsboro, Oregon, Ollivant grew up in Oregon and has lived in Virginia for 10 years, residing in Culpeper County since 2020.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-education\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Education<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ollivant attended Indiana University, James Madison University, and Wheaton College. His <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dougforvirginia.com\/about\/\">campaign biography<\/a> lists advanced degrees from all three institutions.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-family-and-religion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Family and religion<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\">(www.dougforvirginia.com)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/Doug-Ollivant-with-wife-and-dog.jpg?w=683&#8243; height=&#8221;1024&#8243; width=&#8221;683&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(www.dougforvirginia.com)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ollivant and his wife, Sabrina, have seven children and two grandchildren. Ollivant has been divorced once, and Sabrina is his second wife. The couple happily lives along the Rappahannock River with their chickens and rescue dog. He says his Catholic faith has guided his political values as a first-time candidate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m a practicing Catholic,\u201d Ollivant told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s very important to me, have been a Christian all my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-occupations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Occupations<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ollivant\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dougforvirginia.com\/about\/\">campaign website <\/a>highlights his military career, including two combat tours in Iraq, advising coalition forces in Afghanistan, teaching at West Point, and serving as director for Iraq at the National Security Council. He later became a senior fellow at New America and the Foreign Policy Research Institute, where his work focused heavily on national security and the changing nature of warfare.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, Ollivant leads a global consulting firm that works to combat corruption and promote accountability in some of the world\u2019s toughest regions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe help U.S. firms operate in some regions of the world that are rife with corruption,\u201d Ollivant said. \u201cWe help guide them through in a way where they can operate legally under U.S. law and local law, specifically Iraq and some Asian countries.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"h-major-policy-positions\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Major policy positions<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ollivant\u2019s campaign focuses on affordability, fiscal responsibility, food security, and energy abundance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He sees manufacturing as a key part of his economic agenda.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\">Doug Ollivant spoke to Washington Examiner about his run for Virginia\u2019s 7th District on Thursday, August 13, 2026. (Brody Lee\/Washington Examiner)<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-large-file=&#8221;https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/2026\/08\/localimages\/Sequence-02.00_01_49_00.Still002-e1786731356957.jpg?w=696&#8243; height=&#8221;683&#8243; width=&#8221;1024&#8243; &#8220;https:><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Doug Ollivant spoke to Washington Examiner about his run for Virginia\u2019s 7th District on Thursday, August 13, 2026. (Brody Lee\/Washington Examiner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m talking about a manufacturing renaissance for Virginia,\u201d Ollivant said. \u201cSo that we have good jobs for Virginians, and our kids and grandkids can stay here, buy houses, raise families, and don\u2019t have to move to another state where the cost of living dynamic is more favorable.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He also views the nation\u2019s health and fiscal challenges as closely connected.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI strongly believe that there are real problems with our food supply and that we\u2019re broke because we\u2019re sick,\u201d Ollivant said. \u201cOne way to dip into our federal deficit is to make people healthier through better foods. That way we\u2019re not spending as much on our healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Energy is another major focus of his campaign, particularly as Virginia\u2019s electricity demand grows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe need to be generating more power, and we need to be generating that power very near where the demand is, so that we\u2019re not running power lines helter skelter across our farms, battlefields, and in some cases, backyards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On social issues, Ollivant believes protecting women\u2019s sports is something Republicans need to focus on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4668736\/races-to-watch-virginia-first-election-since-redistricting-battle\/\"><strong>RACES TO WATCH IN VIRGINIA IN STATE\u2019S FIRST ELECTION SINCE REDISTRICTING BATTLE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet\u2019s be honest, conservatives were a little late to the party of the importance of sports for girls and women,\u201d Ollivant said. \u201cNow, is this a huge issue along the lines of energy? Well, no. But for the girls impacted, it\u2019s their life, it is huge. So I think this is a very important issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTo me, this is low-hanging fruit,\u201d he added. \u201cThis is something that, this is an 80-20 issue that lots of people of goodwill agree on, and something we should be able to do in very short order.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-hobbies\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hobbies<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ollivant spends much of his free time reading from his extensive personal library. He also tries to take his rescue dog for a walk every day, and the two <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >enjoy visiting dog-friendly breweries<\/a> around Virginia\u2019s 7th District.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republican vet Doug Ollivant challenges Rep. Vindman in VA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2745,"featured_media":2646322,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Doug-Ollivant-Feature-image.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[52927,84308,33387,65369,5468],"class_list":["post-2646321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-abigail-spanberger","tag-district-flip","tag-political-campaign","tag-veteran-candidate","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Doug-Ollivant-Feature-image.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2745"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2646321"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2646325,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2646321\/revisions\/2646325"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2646322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2646321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2646321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2646321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}