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A Virginia law enforcement officer, born to Salvadoran immigrants after they fled civil war for a better life in America, is seeking the Republican nomination to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in the House and will face off against five other GOP hopefuls in the state’s primary election on Tuesday.
In 2018, Yesli Vega, who began her law enforcement career as a street cop with the City of Alexandria’s Police Department, won the Republican nomination and later defeated her Democratic challenger in a general election to earn a spot on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Vega outlined the experiences she has endured in her life, including her brother nearly losing his life to MS-13 gang members, that moved her to seek a seat in the House and improve living conditions for residents in the 7th District.
Virginia 7th Congressional District candidate Yesli Vega, a Republican, will face off against challengers in a primary election on Tuesday. (Yesli Vega campaign)
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“It’s no surprise that our nation is in trouble under Biden and the Democrats,” Vega said. “Virginians have seen not only gas, but grocery prices skyrocket, a humanitarian crisis after another to include the southern border, a crumbling education system, and a defund the police agenda that has caused rapid crime in our communites.”
Describing how her brother was “gunned down” and almost died, Vega said the issue of crime in her community is “personal.”
“When I talk about crime, when I talk about the violence, when I talk about the drugs that are coming into our southern border, it’s personal, and I mean it,” she said, adding that she wants to “set things in motion” for a better future for all Americans.
Vega said her experience as a law enforcement officer and her position on the board of supervisors in Prince William County has led her to better understand and connect with the needs and desires of those in the community.
“I can share with you that we conducted a county-wide survey where we asked folks in Prince William County what is a priority for them and the number one issue for folks is safe and secure communities,” she said. “People don’t want to live in crime-infested communities. People want to make sure that they are safe, that their children are getting the best education possible and that they’re learning in a safe environment.”
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Should Vega prove outshine her competition in Tuesday’s election and advance to the general election in November, she would face incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., who has represented the district in Congress since 2019. Vega expressed optimism that she can defeat Spanberger and take back the seat from Democrats that has historically been held by a Republican.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger D-Va., speaks at a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. (Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Vega said because of her story and her line of work in “delivering results” in law enforcement and throughout Prince William County, she is in a position to defeat Spanberger.
“You have somebody in Abigail who I consider the worst kind of politician because she goes down to Washington and acts and engages in a completely different manor than the Abigail that comes to the 7th District,” Vega said. “One thing you can never do is take voters for granted or feel entitled as if you are over their vote and that’s why I’m hearing on the ground people are tired of her lies, people are tied of her lip service.”
“She has enabled Joe Biden every single step of the way, she led the charge to end qualified immunity,” she added. “When we talk about safe and secure communities, that is going to be a big part of discussions, especially when we’ve seen a Democrat Party that has been the party of violence, the party of chaos, the party of intimidation, and when Abigail Spanberger had an opportunity to stand up and push back, gagged. But now all of a sudden, she’s acting like she’s a friend of the police, like she cares about members of the community and their safety because it’s election time. People are tired of that and they’re gonna reject her this fall.”
Vega also touted the significance of Republican Mayra Flores’ win of a South Texas seat held almost exclusively by Democrats for more than 100 years last Tuesday.
Yesli Vega and her family (Yesli Vega campaign)
“It’s very significant,” Vega said of Flores’ win that some GOP strategists say marks the shift of a new trend for Latino voters. “We’re trying to build off that momentum as well. We’ve seen so many folks in the 7th District who are excited about that victory in Texas and that we can do it here.”
“When you look at this 7th Congressional District, when you look at the demographics, you know, I’m in a position to really turn out the vote and I’m excited,” she added. “I’m excited because of my personal story, which starts with my parents who fled from war in El Salvador in the middle of the civil war… I can relate to folks who have fled their native countries, who have fled from socialism, from communism, from living in crime-riddled communities. People don’t want that here. They reject that.”
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has endorsed Vega’s candidacy and will offer support for her campaign in Virginia Monday evening.
The Republican primary election will take place in Virginia on Tuesday.