FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia’s key matchups for U.S. House races in Tuesday’s elections feature tough contests in a district being vacated by three-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger and a district that is known for alternating between Democratic and Republican control.

In Virginia’s 7th House of Representatives, Republican Derrick Anderson and Democrat Eugene Vindman are in a race to succeed Spanberger, who is vacating her seat in favor of a run for governor next year.

Down the coast, Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans is trying to solidify her seat in a district known to swing between both parties. Kiggans faces Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal in the 2nd District, a seat where Kiggans ousted a Democratic incumbent in 2022.

This year, The federal elections are closer than ever – A small number of elections can determine which party will win the majority in Congress. In an intense battle for several seats, competitive districts in Virginia and elsewhere will play a crucial role in the battle for the House of Representatives.

All seats in the US House of Representatives were up for election on Tuesday, including nine other districts in Virginia. State Sen. John McGuire is battling Democrat Gloria Witt in Virginia’s 5th District after narrowly defeating incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Good by less than a percentage point in a bitter primary. which led to a recount in August.

In the 7th District, the race between Vindman and Anderson was quickly becoming one of the toughest in the country, and Republicans were hoping to gain a lead Districts where they are not facing an incumbent. Although Vindman is a political newcomer, developed a national profile after whistling alongside his brother during then-President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. The former Army officer focused his campaign on abortion rights and the threat to democracy posed by MAGA extremism. Anderson, a veteran and former Green Beret, portrayed himself as the more approachable candidate and focused his campaign on the economy.

Republicans represented the district for nearly 50 years until Spanberger defeated former Republican Rep. David Brat in 2018.

In Fredericksburg on Tuesday, 19-year-old Ossien Asiedu’s defiance of the Republican leadership helped him win a vote for Vindman.

“I just don’t like Trump at all,” said Asiedu, a sophomore at the University of Mary Washington who identified as an independent. Asiedu, who registered to vote on Election Day, said he voted for all Democrats despite knowing little about the other races.

Wendy Stone, 50, a lifelong Virginia resident and longtime voter, chose Anderson.

While taking a photo of her grandchildren with a Trump standee, Stone said she liked Anderson’s politics and didn’t want to support Democrats.

“Vindman is lying, just like the Democratic frontrunner,” Stone said. “You can’t constantly misrepresent basic information and expect voters to agree with it.”

Dustin Schwers, a 22-year-old progressive voter who worked for another Democratic candidate in the primary, said he reluctantly voted for Vindman. “This community is my home, but when he announced his candidacy, none of us knew who he was.”

Robert Gilbert, 63, liked seeing a Vindman brother on the ballot.

“With his role in Trump’s first impeachment trial and his recognized military background, he is the type of candidate I’m looking for,” Gilbert said.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Democrats are pushing for Cotter Smasal to win back the House seat after Kiggans ousted former Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria. The 2nd District has traditionally been a swing district, with Republicans and Democrats who served in the Navy swinging in recent years.

The differences between the candidates largely stem from national partisan fault lines. Kiggans focused on issues such as the economy and border security, while Cotter Smasal focused her campaign on abortion access and defending American democracy in its aftermath January 6th Uprising. In a district full of military veterans, both candidates have cited the need to help veterans and address the rising cost of living.

Protecting abortion rights was a key issue for Hannah Taylor, 34, of Virginia Beach, who voted for Cotter Smasal. Taylor, who just gave birth to her first child and wants to have more children, was particularly concerned about the high mortality rate among black mothers.

“If I were to be put in a situation where a pregnancy didn’t go well or there was a risk that I or my baby would die, I would want the opportunity to do what was best for me,” said Taylor, who works as a case manager and helps Veterans looking for housing. “I want the right to do what I need to do without dying.”

But Jeff Parks, 60, who voted for Kiggans, said issues like abortion are less relevant in congressional elections because the issue is now in the hands of state lawmakers.

“I think it’s a departure from the economy, inflation and other important issues,” said Parks, who lives outside Parksley on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. “Economic development is clearly a top issue. We have a very low average income and high prices. We need jobs and a lower cost of living.”

Parks works for a private company that provides emergency management services throughout the United States. He is also a member of his district’s supervisory board. He said Kiggans has anchored himself in the community while focusing on issues that include securing federal funding for sewer upgrades.

Up in Northern Virginia, Democrats are trying to hold their ground after Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton announced she won’t run for re-election after this who is diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy. In a more liberal area, Democrat Suhas Subramanyam faces Republican Mike Clancy.

Subramanyam, a former technical adviser under the Obama administration, began his political career as a state lawmaker in 2020 and was elected to the Virginia Senate last November. His campaign against Clancy, a corporate lawyer who previously worked in the Navy’s general counsel’s office, came after Subramanyam won the Democratic nomination in a crowded primary in June.

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Barakat reported from Falls Church, Virginia, and Finley reported from Virginia Beach.

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.