Op-Ed Summary:

The most effective immigration representation strategy for Democrat Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s seventh congressional district is to continue the strategy she has employed since entering office: be a quiet supporter of immigrant rights. Spanberger should use her votes to support immigrants by voting consistently with the Democratic Party, but given the historic conservatism and demographics in VA-07, she should not be vocal in her pro-immigrant stance. VA-07 has not seen a Democratic representative since 1971, and in 2014 it voted out an incumbent Republican leader to replace him with Tea Party conservative Dave Brat. In addition, the district has a small minority of immigrants and is majority white, but that majority has shrunk over the last decade. All of this signals anti-immigrant sentiment in the district. However, the electorate chose a female Democrat over reelecting an inactive Brat, thereby indicating that a commitment to representing what the district wants is more important than party in VA-07. Therefore, by not tweeting and making public statements that show great support for immigrants, Spanberger shows respect for constituency’s attitudes on immigration and will put VA-07 first. Perhaps this will help push the district to the left as voters will see Democrats like Spanberger as the ones who best represent them, which in turn helps immigrants in the long-term as a left-leaning government is important for crafting policies that promote immigrant integration. Therefore, Spanberger is already employing the most effective immigrant representation strategy by being a quiet supporter of immigrant rights through her votes.

This paper represents my own work in accordance with University regulations. – Morgan Bell