Adam Dunigan Says He’ll Run in 7th District if Redistricting Passes, Criticizes Political Opportunism
March 12, 2026
Arlington, VA — Democratic congressional candidate Adam Dunigan clarified today that if Virginia voters approve the April 21 redistricting referendum, his campaign would shift from the current 8th District into the 7th Congressional District.
“Whether the referendum passes or not, I’m still running where I live, which is Arlington. I didn’t enter this race to chase political opportunities created by redistricting,” said Dunigan. “I resigned from CIA to serve my community, create opportunity for working and federal families, and hold the Trump administration accountable for its blatant corruption and abuses of power.”
Dunigan added that if the district lines change, he’s excited to meet voters across the newly drawn 7th District. “Wherever we are, we’re all Virginians. I look forward to earning the trust and support of every community in the 7th.”
A former Marine and CIA case officer, Dunigan also acknowledged the confusion the redistricting process has created.
“Each campaign has spent months listening, learning, and building a platform tailored to the unique challenges and aspirations of their districts,” he said. “I’m not alone in sharing concerns about how this process has been implemented and why establishment candidates are already fundraising and campaigning for districts that don’t technically exist yet.”
From Dunigan’s perspective, this kind of blatant opportunism represents corporate politics at its worst and undermines the Democratic Party of Virginia’s ability to make room for a new generation of candidates with the ideas, energy, and fight needed to confront this moment of national crisis.
“I support the referendum,” said Dunigan, “but only as a nuclear option to rebalance power in Congress and stop Trump from further tearing apart the foundations of our democracy.” He added that uncertain times call for extraordinary measures, but any victory must be sustainable. “That won’t happen with hand-picked establishment candidates backed by the same corporate money that led us into this situation,” he said.
“Our Commonwealth and our country deserve a Congress that is accountable to the people it serves, not the money that funds it.”