Bree Fram, a transgender former Space Force colonel forced out under President Trump, is running a long-shot Democratic primary campaign against Rep. James Walkinshaw in Virginia's 11th District. Her bid hinges on a state referendum Tuesday that could redraw congressional maps in Democrats' favor. If approved, the new map would create a district blending areas currently held by multiple incumbents.
Virginia voters head to polls Tuesday on redistricting amendment. The measure, passed by the state Senate and House and signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, proposes a congressional map favoring Democrats in 10 of 11 districts. Fram, a 23-year Air Force and Space Force veteran and rocket scientist, lives in Reston and sees a path to victory in the proposed 'new 11th' district, which includes voters from areas represented by Reps. Suhas Subramanyam, Don Beyer and Ben Cline. Her campaign manager, Sabrina Bruce, another transgender ex-Space Force member, said, 'That chaos is a ladder, and when you have an opportunity to exploit that, to take advantage of it, it’s clear that you can use that to win.' Fram's military ouster fuels her candidacy. Fram became the highest-ranking openly transgender service member as a colonel before Trump's executive order led to her administrative leave in June 2025 and retirement in January 2026. She described the process as marked by 'every pettiness, every cruelty.' Now, she advocates progressive policies like universal health care, no corporate PAC money and criticism of the DOGE federal workforce cuts. Walkinshaw holds fundraising edge amid tight polls. An internal Fram campaign poll shows Walkinshaw leading 43% to 9% head-to-head among likely Democratic primary voters in the new district, narrowing to 42%-21% with candidate information. Fram raised $250,000 in Q1 2026 with $135,000 cash on hand; Walkinshaw raised $630,000 with nearly $800,000 cash. Walkinshaw's manager Donald Brownlee highlighted grassroots support from over 6,000 small donations. Fram emphasizes unity, with Bruce noting, 'How are we going to get away from this malaise that Trump has put us in if we don’t try to be better ourselves?'
