Spanberger's Republican cousin launches Congress bid in California

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EXCLUSIVE : The Republican cousin of Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia Thursday launched a marketing campaign for Congress in California as she tries to flip a blue seat purple.

In an announcement shared first with Fox Information Digital, entrepreneur Jenny Rae Le Roux declared her candidacy for the U.S. Home in California's 47th Congressional District , a aggressive seat in Orange County that's held by first-term Democratic Rep. Dave Min, who's looking for re-election.

The Orange County district is being focused by the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee, the marketing campaign arm of the Home GOP, because the celebration works to guard its razor-thin majority within the chamber within the 2026 midterm elections. Le Roux is one in every of 4 Republican candidates working within the June 2 major towards Min.

"I am working as a result of I like this district," Le Roux informed Fox Information Digital. "I like California, and I do not suppose that Dave Min has represented this district in a means that persons are enthusiastic about."

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Republican Jenny Rae Le Roux, a cousin of Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, is launching a U.S. Home bid to flip a congressional seat from blue to purple. (Jenny Rae Le Roux marketing campaign)

And she or he argued that Min, who succeeded former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter in representing the district, which incorporates Costa Mesa, Huntington Seashore, Irvine, Newport Seashore and Seal Seashore, "offered as a reasonable" as he ran for Congress two years in the past, however "he's governing and messaging as a progressive."

"A number of my district is definitely not that curious about progressive politics. They need faculties that work, roads that function, police that present up. They need the fundamental functioning of a governmental society that works," Le Roux emphasised.

That is the identical argument Le Roux makes about her second cousin, whom she calls Abby.

"She actually ran as a reasonable in Virginia and is governing as a progressive, which I feel is disenfranchising a number of Democrat voters," Le Roux claimed.

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Pointing to her cousin, a former CIA intelligence officer who served three phrases in Congress earlier than successful election in 2025 as Virginia's first feminine governor, Le Roux mentioned, "Abby and I grew up collectively. We spent a number of time within the summers at household pool events collectively. We really graduated the identical yr from the College of Virginia collectively, and spend a number of time, even in maturity. She has three daughters. I've three sons."

"I've watched her bent towards public service, which is one thing that we each share. I feel each of us grew up in a powerful household with a love for neighborhood and a love for our nation and a very sturdy sense of patriotism," Le Roux added.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger presents the Democratic response to the State of the Union. (Mike Kropf/Getty Photos)

Le Roux mentioned Spanberger's profession path into politics motivated her to get extra politically concerned.

So did the COVID-19 pandemic.

"What actually activated me into politics was COVID," she mentioned. "I had a farm, a household and a enterprise, and all of these got here below assault throughout COVID."

Le Roux, pointing to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, mentioned, "I felt like our governor was doing an extremely poor job, each with the whole lot associated to highschool closures and likewise associated to the whole lot else taking place within the state, homelessness and crime and different points."

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Le Roux ran for governor as a Republican within the 2021 recall election, and once more within the repeatedly scheduled 2022 gubernatorial election, coming in fourth within the major.

She at present serves as Director of CAL DOGE, an initiative launched by California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox Information contributor and host, and state controller candidate Herb Morgan.

Le Roux mentioned that her resolution to run for Congress was a direct results of the work she’s carried out with Cal DOGE to uncover the waste, fraud, and abuse in authorities.

Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., seen throughout the information convention on the U.S. Capitol on July 16, 2025, is looking for re-election on this yr's midterm elections. (Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photos)

"Cal DOGE has been eye opening. Washington permits the identical dysfunction and corruption that's hurting California," Le Roux mentioned in an announcement. "We will’t repair what's damaged in our authorities except outsiders who haven’t been a part of the issue step as much as serve."

And she or he informed Fox Information Digital, "I feel we have to have full transparency of the place the cash goes, who it'll. I feel that we now have a singular alternative to try this now with expertise that wasn't obtainable up to now."

Le Roux mentioned her views largely have "been formed by watching the entire failed insurance policies in California and eager to reverse them, which is likely one of the explanation why I am not only a Republican, however a staunch conservative Republican, a fiscal conservative, and I am enthusiastic about actually bringing authorities again towards native management."

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As for her cousin, Le Roux mentioned: "I like her ... I congratulate her when she wins races. And I pray for her. I consider that we should always pray for all of our leaders, no matter celebration, and I completely consider we should always hold dialog traces open. However Abby and I do not agree proper now on a lot politically."

"We're in an fascinating place as a household proper now," she added.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter primarily based within the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the marketing campaign path from coast to coast."