George Conway Jumps Into Crowded Democratic House Primary
George Conway, the conservative lawyer turned Trump critic, files to run in Virginia’s crowded Democratic House primary, shaking up the race with cash and celebrity.
The Never-Trump Lawyer Who Became a Resistance Icon Now Wants a Seat in Congress
George Conway, the sharp-tongued conservative lawyer who morphed into one of Donald Trump’s most relentless Republican critics, filed papers late Monday to run in an already-packed Democratic primary for an open House seat in suburban Virginia.
A Late Entry That Could Reshape the Race
Until this week, the Democratic contest centered on three local legislators wrestling over endorsements and small-dollar donations. Conway’s eleventh-hour entrance—complete with a seven-figure pledge to bankroll his own campaign—immediately scrambles the math, giving voters a celebrity name with a national fundraising list.
‘I’ve spent years litigating in courtrooms; now I want to take the fight to Congress,’ Conway told supporters outside the Arlington County elections office. ‘The Republican Party lost its way. I’m here to help the Democrats defend the Constitution.’
From Fox News Guest to Democratic Debate Stage
Conway’s transformation from high-profile Trump skeptic to Democratic contender stunned even seasoned operatives. His Twitter feed, once a nonstop fusillade against the former president, now mixes policy threads on voting rights and climate with selfies at farmers markets and subway stops.
- Grew up outside Boston, Harvard undergrad, Yale Law
- Married to former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway until their 2023 divorce
- Co-founded the Lincoln Project, then split acrimoniously with the anti-Trump group
- Has never held elected office
What the Polls Say
An internal memo circulated by Conway’s exploratory team shows him pulling 28 percent in a five-way ballot, trailing state Senator Lila Gutierrez by four points but leading the remaining pack by double digits. Democratic strategists caution the survey tested name ID more than conviction, yet concede Conway’s saturation cable-news exposure is priceless.
The Republican Reaction
Local GOP chair Dean Alvarez greeted the news with glee, predicting Conway’s candidacy will ‘push the entire Democratic field further left’ and depress moderate turnout. National Republicans, meanwhile, are already clipping Conway’s past praise for corporate tax cuts and judicial originalism—fodder for fall attack ads should he win the nomination.
What Happens Next
Ballot petitions are due in 17 days. Conway must collect 1,000 valid signatures across the district’s eight counties, a grind that usually favors candidates with neighborhood networks, not TV ratings. Still, his campaign says more than 3,000 volunteers have already signed up to canvass.
Early voting begins in ten weeks. If no Democrat clears 50 percent in the May primary, the top two finishers head to a runoff—an outcome operatives say grew more likely the moment George Conway stepped off the sidelines and into the ring.