Overview
- Cooney announced Wednesday that he will run as a Democrat for the proposed Virginia 7th District, which would span from Arlington to rural communities and is projected to lean Democratic by the Virginia Public Access Project.
- A nearly 18‑year Justice Department veteran, he served as Jack Smith’s top deputy and a lead prosecutor in the 2020 election and classified‑documents cases against President Trump before the special counsel team was dismissed early in Trump’s second term.
- He is framing his campaign around defending the rule of law, calling Trump a grave threat and criticizing what he described as a complicit Congress, while pointing to prosecutions involving the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Steve Bannon, Roger Stone and Peter Navarro.
- The district’s status remains uncertain after a county judge blocked the proposed map, with the Virginia Supreme Court now set to decide whether the plan can advance.
- Recent context includes Smith’s testimony that his team found proof beyond a reasonable doubt of a 2020 election scheme, the dismissal of the documents case over a ruling on Smith’s appointment, and Cooney’s rebuke of Attorney General Pam Bondi’s “weaponization” claims.