VIRGINIA, USA — Abigail Spanberger will serve another term as Congresswoman for Virginia’s 7th District after beating GOP newcomer Yesli Vega in the midterm elections Tuesday, according to projections from the Associated Press.
The 7th Congressional District in Virginia is one of the most competitive races, with officials saying it could help determine who controls the House after the 2022 midterm elections.
Spanberger, a former federal agent who grew up in a law enforcement house, is set to serve her third term representing Virginia in Congress.
From rising grocery and gas prices to supply chain disruptions, Spanberger says Congress must do more to ease the burden of the current economic climate.
She says she will push for legislation that addresses a shortage of truck drivers, saying this shortage is one of many issues contributing to inflation.
"We need to recruit more people into that job and keep them there and respect and acknowledge the valuable work that truck drivers do and valuable role they plan in our supply chain," she said.
During her campaign, Spanberger touted her role in lowering prescription drug prices, urging the White House to expand short-term oil refinery capacity to reduce gas costs and challenging large meat companies to hopefully bring down meat and poultry prices.
"I've led bipartisan legislation that passed in the House," she said. "It passed out of committee in the Senate with bipartisan support to crack down on these anti-competitive behaviors that not only impact people at the grocery store negatively but farmers and producers across the 7th District are seeing their share profits for the products they're selling go down."
Spanberger has also always supported codifying Roe v. Wade, which President Joe Biden plans to ask Congress to do if Democrats keep control.
"I support a woman's right to choose," Spanberger said. "I recognize that decisions that women are making about their own health and about their lives are decisions that should live between a woman and her doctor and the government should never be mandating pregnancies."
If elected, Yesli Vega would have been the first Latina to represent Virginia in Congress, according to the Center for American Woman and Politics.
In her campaign, Vega told residents she planned to use her experience as a Prince William County supervisor, a role she assumed in January 2020, to guide her priorities in Congress.
Vega believes rising gas and grocery prices are the biggest concern for Virginians.
"We keep printing money that we don't have and sending money to all of these places when we have a great need here," she said when asked what she would do to help reduce inflation. "We owe to the American people to be good stewards of their tax dollars."
Vega also emphasized how she supported overturning Roe v. Wade and giving the decision back to the states.
"I am pro-life, but I do believe in the three exceptions: life of the mother and rape and incest," Vega said.
Vega is also a big advocate for law enforcement and supports fully funding police.
Vega also focused on border issues during her campaign. While she did not provide specific solutions, she says the country needs to better enforce laws and reassess what do with the migrants already here.
"I'm fully supportive of securing the border and then talking about what we're going to do with the folks here," she said.
WATCH NEXT: