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State Del. Elizabeth Guzmán entered the race for Virginia’s new 7th Congressional District on Wednesday, one day after voters approved the General Assembly’s 2026 redistricting map.
The Prince William County resident joins a growing Democratic field that includes former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe, Del. Dan Helmer and several other candidates.
Fairfax and Arlington counties dominate the newly drawn district, accounting for more than 53% of its voters. Prince William County represents less than 3% of the district, which includes scattered portions of 16 localities and has been nicknamed the “lobster” because of its shape.
Guzmán represents Virginia’s 22nd House District after defeating incumbent Del. Ian Lovejoy in 2025. She previously represented parts of Prince William and Fauquier counties as the 31st District delegate from 2018 through 2024.
A native of Peru, Guzmán highlighted her support for Medicaid expansion, a higher minimum wage, workers and unionization, as well as her opposition to data center expansion.
“I came to this country as a single mom with $300 in my pocket,” Guzmán said in her announcement. “I worked behind the counter at Wendy’s. I worked retail at CVS. I did whatever it took to pay rent and put food on the table. That’s what working people do. We show up, we work hard, and we keep going.”
Guzmán said she would pursue a “bold agenda focused on lowering costs and protecting working families” if elected to Congress. Her priorities would include immigration reform, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending what she called “costly wars.”
Other announced Democratic candidates are:
- Del. Dan Helmer
- Dorothy McAuliffe, former first lady of Virginia
- J.P. Cooney, a former federal prosecutor
- Del. Adele McClure
- State Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim
- Joe Schiarizzi, an entrepreneur and affordable housing activist
- Olivia Troye, a former counterterrorism adviser in Democratic and Republican administrations
Announced Republican candidates are:
- State Sen. Tara Durant
- John Gray
- Darius Mayfield
- Douglas Ollivant
- Waverly Washington