I do mean really lost. So lost I couldn’t find a single poll for the district, the RCP congressional map has it as “Likely Dem,” and if I hadn’t stumbled across a tweet from a debate, I’d have no idea who this Hung Cao guy was. What a great story it is, too.

First, some background: Virginia’s 10th Congressional District sits snug up on the western edge of Washington, D.C.. Loudon and Prince William Counties make up the largest chunks of the district, and it’s a pretty well-to-do slice of the suburbs – median household income in Loudon is $147K+ a year, and, in Prince William, it’s $107K+ a year.

According to the Virginia Public Access Program, the district breaks down racially as 55% white, 15.5% Asian, 10.9% Multiracial, 9.9% Other, and 8.5% Black. Pretty diverse mix, and was solidly Republican until the 2016 Presidential election, swinging blue to Clinton 52-42%. In 2018, they ousted their incumbent Republican congresswoman Barbara Comstock in favor of a Democrat named Jennifer Wexton, who won reelection two years ago. She might be on shaky ground this year, as her empathy with the financial difficulties of her constituents (due in large part to her voting in lockstep with Joe Biden 100% of the time) is sorely lacking.

#VA10 families face an economic recession with historic inflation and high prices. @JenniferWexton: https://t.co/4OygY13xK7 pic.twitter.com/tjjt3sr3G2

— Hung Cao (@HungCaoCongress) October 4, 2022

You know it’s going to be tough sledding for a while, so I’m sorry about that.

Yeesh.

Buoyed by Glenn Youngkin’s success in 2021 (although the district went big for former VA governor Terry McAuliffe), and knowing they’ve already energized the parents in the state, VA Republicans are hoping to take the seat back. They had a massive field of eleven primary candidates.

…Cao won by an 18-point margin on a ranked-choice distributed caucus ballot from among 11 candidates. The victory came in the ninth round of balloting, when he achieved 52.8% of the 15,174 votes cast.

*blinkblink* (NINE ROUNDS OF BALLOTING? Surely there’s an easier way…)
The one who emerged triumphant was Hung Cao. His story is truly the iconic, American dream story. A snippet from his campaign bio:

He uses it very effectively in many of his campaign videos. But the video I saw – the one that sent me looking to see who this snappy answering, quick-on-his-feet fellow was – was from the candidate debate they held 2 October. A moderator tries to nail him with the obligatory “Is Joe Biden the duly elected President of the United States?” GOTCHA. Cao makes sure THAT question will never be asked of him again.

Opening Q in VA10 debate b/t @HungCaoCongress& @JenniferWexton

Q: Do you believe @JoeBiden is the elected president?@HungCaoCongress:

“JoeBiden is the @POTUS … if you don’t believe me, go to your gas ⛽️ pump or go to your grocery stores and that’ll tell you who is.” pic.twitter.com/xj0QIsO9js

— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) October 2, 2022

He then proceeded to shred Wexton and local Democrats for mailers painting him as an “extremist,” thanks to his anti-abortion, pro-parent, pro-2d Amendment, anti-Woke views. I’ll bet that’s extreme to the Beltway Liberal crowd.

Baseless vilification serves to create division & resentment within our communities, especially among those who have been wrongfully pushed to the fringes of society, like immigrants. Yet my opponent regularly employs decisive language against me, a refugee & an immigrant myself. pic.twitter.com/NDAYYQaU9q

— Hung Cao (@HungCaoCongress) October 3, 2022

I’ll leave you with this recent video, and we need more of them from retired senior officers. They have to be willing to speak out, and if they’re elected to office and able to affect policy in some way, shape, or form? All the better.

As a former active duty Marine myself, with a son, nephews, and friends on active duty, hearing this made my heart happy. I sure hope he does well and pulls this win out. He’s had Glenn Youngkin stumping for him, as well as Kevin McCarthy dumping money in, so, while it might look “likely Dem,” somebody is seeing something in this terrific guy and the response he’s getting from voters that’s giving them really good vibrations. That would be awesome.