Republicans Nominate Marine To Oppose Wexton In 10th District

WINCHESTER, VA — Aliscia Andrews, a political newcomer, won the Republican nomination Saturday to take on Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) for Virginia's 10th congressional district after defeating three other candidates at the GOP's nominating convention in Winchester. Andrews won the nomination at the party's drive-thru nominating convention at Shenandoah University.

Andrews, a Marine Corps veteran, lives in Aldie with her husband, two sons and daughter. After the Marine Corps, Andrews "continued honing her analytical tradecraft in both the public and private sectors," according to her campaign website. She also serves as a volunteer on the Loudoun County Criminal Justice Board.

At the convention, Andrews won the nomination from a field of four candidates. The other candidates were Rob Jones of Middleburg, Jeff Dove of Manassas and Matt Truong of Fairfax County. Jones had received the endorsement of Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman (R).

The 10th congressional district includes all of Clarke, Frederick and Loudoun counties and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties.

At a June 13 online candidate forum sponsored by the Fairfax County Republican Committee, Andrews said she decided to seek the Republican nomination after seeing the "extremist left side of the aisle pushing so much of their crazy agenda onto us."

Andrews characterized the incumbent in the district, Wexton, as "so far left" because she sides with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) on many issues.

On her campaign website, Andrews states: "I will stand with President Donald Trump to finish the wall, close immigration loopholes, and secure our ports of entry."

"I will also stand with our law enforcement and border patrol and support policies that enable them to do their jobs while the far-left demonizes them," her website says.

Andrews has an uphill battle to unseat Wexton in a year that could see a huge voter turnout — despite the coronavirus crisis — due primarily to the presidential election where Democrats in Northern Virginia are expected to come out in droves with the goal of defeating President Donald Trump. Democrats control the county governments in the most populated areas of Virginia's 10th congressional district. The more rural Clarke and Frederick counties are controlled by Republicans.

Despite Republicans controlling the 10th congressional seat for the previous 38 years, Wexton easily defeated incumbent Rep. Barbara Comstock (R) in the 2018 election, winning 206,356 of the votes compared to 160,841 for Comstock.

"It's now time to come together and support our nominee who is a rock solid conservative," Matt Leeds, chairman of the 10th Congressional District Republican Committee, said Sunday in a statement. "We need to take the fight to Jennifer Wexton; and that's just what a Marine can do."