Olivia Troye, a former top aide to Vice President Mike Pence who broke with President Donald Trump during his first administration over the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Tuesday she is launching a bid as a Democrat for Virginia's 7th Congressional District, entering an already crowded and closely watched primary contest.
Troye, who served as a homeland security and counterterrorism adviser to Pence and later on the White House COVID-19 task force, gained national prominence after resigning in 2020 and publicly criticizing Trump's "agenda" during the pandemic.
"It's very hard when you're trying to actually base things on facts and science and on the data to have a president that wasn't focused on that," Troye said in a 2020 interview.
"He was really focused on public image, messaging and it was really more about, you know, his personal agenda than really the agenda that the task force had at hand, which was how are we going to save and protect Americans," she said.
On Tuesday, Troye released a video announcing her candidacy and claimed that Republicans "sent MAGA after me" due to her public break from Trump in 2020.
She said the GOP "tried to bankrupt me. Threatened to kill me. They thought they could silence me. They obviously don't know me very well."
"Virginia deserves someone who's been through the fire, who isn't afraid to fight — for our freedom, for our values, for our future," Troye said. "Trump doesn't scare me. I took him on when it mattered the most, and I'm ready to do it again.
"It's time to send some real courage to Congress."
Her candidacy comes as Virginia voters prepare to decide an April 21 referendum that would redraw the state's congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The proposed changes could significantly benefit Democrats, potentially expanding their advantage in the state's House delegation.
If approved, the newly configured 7th District — spanning parts of Northern Virginia and stretching toward central regions — is expected to favor Democrats and has already attracted a competitive field of candidates.
Troye joins several Democrats vying for the seat, including former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe, state Sen. Dan Helmer, and former federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney.
The incumbent, Rep. Eugene Vindman, has indicated he will run in a different district if the new map takes effect, further opening the race and increasing competition among Democratic hopefuls.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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