Democrats have several crucial races to win in Virginia if they want to take back the House in the upcoming midterm elections, Vox reports.
Although Virginia trails California and Pennsylvania in terms of importance to Democrats, it's still vital that the party wins the four races where it's most competitive: Virginia's 2nd, 5th, 7th and 10th congressional districts.
Former U.S. Navy commander Elaine Luria is running as a Democrat in the 2nd District, against incumbent Republican Rep. Scott Taylor, who supported the Obamacare repeal, the GOP tax bill and a ban on abortions after 20 weeks.
President Donald Trump only won the district by 3 points in 2016, but the race is still rated by the Cook Political Report as Lean Republican.
In the 5th District, Democrats elected Leslie Cockburn, a former reporter, to run for the seat currently held by retiring Republican Rep. Tom Garrett, who declined to run for re-election after a number of scandals.
Cockburn faces local distillery owner Denver Riggleman, a Republican who vowed to join the conservative House Freedom Caucus if elected. Although the district voted for Trump by 10 points in 2016, it elected a Democrat in 2008 and lacks a Republican incumbent, making it a target for progressives despite the long odds.
Abigail Spanberger, a former federal law enforcement officer and CIA operative, is running to unseat Republican Rep. Dave Brat, who notably defeated then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in the 2014 GOP primary in District 7.
Spanberger must first face retired military colonel Dan Ward in a primary.
Brat is one of the most conservative members in the House, and Trump won the district by only 6 points in 2016, a steep decline from former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's 11 in 2012.
Finally, Democrats hope that state Sen. Jennifer Wexton, who still faces a primary battle with several rivals, can unseat Rep. Barbara Comstock, one of the most vulnerable members of the GOP running for reelection.
Cook rates this race as a toss-up that is slightly leaning Democrat.