Virginia GOP candidate Derrick Anderson breaks silence after claims he borrowed friend’s family for campaign footage
Republican congressional candidate Derrick Anderson fired back at media claims that he “borrowed” a friend’s family for campaign images.
Anderson, an Army veteran, is trying to turn a blue Virginia district red in 2024 after its current resident, Abigail Spanberger, announced she was leaving to run for governor in 2025.
Anderson recently released a campaign ad featuring images of himself with a wife and three children — what appeared to be a family photo — in an effort to appeal to female voters and family values.
However, the mother and the three girls are in no way related to him and it later turns out that they are the wife and three children of an old friend of Anderson, according to the New York Times.
A spokesperson for Anderson told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that the footage was not intended for the campaign, but for b-roll, and claimed that his Democratic opponent, Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Vindman, has used similar footage.
Republican congressional candidate Derrick Anderson fired back at media claims that he ‘borrowed’ a friend’s family for campaign images
Anderson recently released campaign images of himself with a wife and three children in an effort to appeal to family values. However, the mother and three girls are in no way related to him and it later turns out that they are the wife and three children of an old friend of Anderson.
“The New York Times deliberately misled voters by falsely reporting Derrick – who is cheerfully engaged and very proud of his family – appearing in a video featuring female supporters and their children. It’s both hilarious and sad,” they said.
“Derrick’s opponent and every other candidate in America are seen in similar photos and videos with all kinds of supporters, and Yevgeny Vindman shows similar shots in his own campaign b-roll – showing just how absurd this farce is.”
“Here’s a fact of life for voters in Virginia’s 7th District: Yevgeny Vindman misled Virginia voters by lying about his military record, and he should release his DD214.”
He reiterated that the images were not intended to be used in an advertisement and sent DailyMail.com images from Vindman’s campaign with similar images.
Anderson even posted a video of himself and his fiancée on the campaign trail a few weeks earlier.
He currently lives alone with his dog after getting engaged in September.
Liberals accused Anderson on social media of lying about his family status on social media to win votes.
A Virginia Democrat wrote, “If you think hiring a team to play a house makes you relatable, then you have officially entered the realm of the bizarre, Derrick. It’s time to get realistic: you can’t Photoshop authenticity!’
A spokesperson for Anderson told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that the footage was not intended for the campaign, but only as b-roll, and claimed that his Democratic opponent, Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Vindman, has used similar footage.
Veteran Derrick Anderson is trying to turn a blue district red in 2024 after current resident Abigail Spanberger announced she was leaving to run for governor in 2025
“Derrick Anderson is back on the campaign trail. He probably shouldn’t keep using The Cars’ My Best Friend’s Girl as his campaign song,” another joked.
Someone else also wondered if George Santos was in charge of Anderson’s campaign.
Asked about the reaction to the images, an Anderson spokesperson said the attacks were stupid and unfair.
“The false, politically motivated reporting about Derrick – who is happily engaged and very proud of his family – appearing in a normal campaign video featuring female supporters and their children is both hilarious and sad,” the spokesperson said. HuffPo.
The spokesperson – who described the images as Anderson posing “with female supporters and their children” – also shared it New York Times that this is standard procedure.
He recently released a campaign ad that featured images of Anderson with a woman and three younger women, who appeared to be his wife and daughters. Anderson even posted a video of himself and his fiancée on the campaign trail a few weeks earlier
Anderson’s opponent is Democrat Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, a native of Ukraine and key player alongside his brother Alexander in the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump
“Derrick’s opponent and all the other candidates in America are seen in similar photos and videos with all kinds of supporters,” they said.
That opponent is Democrat Yevgeny ‘Eugene’ Vindman, born in Ukraine and an important player alongside his brother Alexander in the first impeachment trial against Donald Trump.
The DCCC said in a statement that Anderson is using these women as a way to protect herself from attacks on abortion.
“Derrick Anderson is so desperate to mask his anti-abortion views and appear like a family man that he poses for fake family photos,” spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen said.
“He is clearly not above misleading Virginians and absolutely cannot be trusted to represent them in Congress.”
Anderson, who insists through his spokesperson that he did not lie, recently wrote an op-ed titled: “Want to lower the temperature in politics? Stop with the lies.”
“I call on voters to reject the lies and help us unite this country. And if you see my opponent and his allies lying, call them out. You get the truth from me; demand the truth from my opponent,” he wrote The daily progress.
‘Demand clear answers and no deceit. Don’t let my opponent talk out of both sides of his mouth. Demand truth, demand character. You deserve that as voters.’
An August poll showed Anderson and Vindman tied at 41%-41% WJLA.
Cook Political Report rates the races as a “lean Democrat,” but called it still competitive for Republican Anderson.
Republicans taking back the seat would likely be key to expanding their slim majority in the House of Representatives.