The upcoming decision in the 2026 redistricting conflict will take place on Tuesday in Virginia, where a map favoring Democrats in 10 out of 11 districts appears likely to threaten Republican incumbents and set the stage for the Democrats’ next major challenge.
This marks a new phase in the era of redistricting primaries, with a Democrat-versus-Democrat contest in a district near Washington, D.C., creating an opportunity for a progressive candidate with a background in activism.
Veteran Bree Fram is leveraging the Virginia referendum to challenge Rep. James Walkinshaw from the left. Walkinshaw, a six-month incumbent, assumed the position previously held by his mentor, Rep. Gerry Connolly, after Connolly’s death in May 2025.
Fram’s candidacy underscores an unforeseen consequence of the Democrats’ response to the redistricting battles initiated by President Donald Trump to maintain the GOP House majority. Regardless of the outcome, this race will shape the future direction of a Democratic Party still navigating its way out of political obscurity.
Fram, formerly the highest-ranking transgender individual in the military, was compelled to retire last year following Trump’s executive order declaring that transgender people are “not consistent with the humility and selflessness required” for military service. Now, Fram and her campaign manager, Sabrina Bruce, also a transgender woman who was ousted from the Space Force, are approaching their campaign with military precision. Despite acknowledging that their bid is a long shot, they believe they have a chance if Virginia voters approve the redistricting measure.
“If it passes, there is a path to victory because strategically, you should not confront your opponent where they are strong, but rather where they are weak,” Bruce stated.
However, should the redistricting plan fail or be blocked by the state Supreme Court, Bruce conceded, “The circumstances in that path to victory are much more out of our hands.”
Upon initial review, Fram possesses the qualifications typical of congressional candidates. With 23 years of service—18 in the Air Force and five in the Space Force—she is quick to highlight her achievements from top military schools. As a rocket scientist and author or editor of three books, including one on leadership, Fram is also a married mother of two teenagers residing in the expansive Washington suburbs. Her discussions frequently revolve around democracy, duty, and service.
The context of Fram’s underdog campaign against Walkinshaw is far from ordinary, reflecting the complex political climate that Trump has influenced. This journey extends from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to the redistricting battles of 2026, and its outcome will provide insights as the country looks ahead.
Fram’s progressive platform resonates in Washington’s predominantly Democratic suburbs: rejecting corporate PAC contributions, advocating universal health care, and proposing changes to the capital gains tax. She opposes the placement of data centers—where the region leads globally—near residential zones. Fram criticizes DOGE for the adverse impact on Northern Virginia’s federal workforce and aligns with Democratic politicians who leverage military service backgrounds, denouncing Trump’s unpopular war in Iran as “a reckless disaster.”
Fram is also unafraid to critique her own party. She expressed disappointment with Democrats distancing themselves from transgender advocacy after 2024 and has called for a constitutional amendment to limit presidential pardon powers, referencing preemptive pardons issued by Biden to his inner circle before leaving office.
Walkinshaw, meanwhile, positions himself as an establishment Democrat and a continuation of Connolly’s legacy, who served in Congress for 16 years and is frequently mentioned on Walkinshaw’s policy priorities webpage. He serves on the House Oversight and Homeland Security Committees—two prominent panels where Democratic members oppose Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and immigration policies. Walkinshaw also co-chairs the Federal Workforce Caucus, advocating for federal workers.
Bruce and Fram recognized the daunting task of defeating Walkinshaw, who concluded 2025 with over $340,000 in cash reserves. Just days before Fram announced her campaign on January 20, the Virginia state Senate and House of Delegates passed a constitutional amendment paving the way for the redistricting referendum.
In subsequent weeks, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed legislation to redraw congressional maps, contingent on voter approval. Fram’s district in the new map—the “new 11th”—comprises a majority of voters from nearby districts currently led by Reps. Suhas Subramanyam (D), Don Beyer (D), and Ben Cline (R). Walkinshaw and all other Democrats in Virginia’s delegation have endorsed the map.
“We realized the dynamics had shifted slightly in our favor with redistricting,” Bruce noted. “That chaos is a ladder, and when you have the opportunity to exploit it, to capitalize on it, it becomes clear that you can use it to win.”
The campaign operates on the premise that the referendum, which is polling narrowly in favor of Democrats, will succeed. This initiative includes a “listening tour” of the new 11th district, inspired by a commander’s initial task upon taking over a base or squadron: engaging with everyone to understand their needs.
Yet, Fram remains the underdog.
An internal poll from Fram’s campaign, shared with POLITICO, indicates Walkinshaw holds a significant lead. Initially, 43 percent of Democratic primary voters in Virginia’s new 11th district preferred Walkinshaw, while only 9 percent supported Fram, with 48 percent undecided. When informed about both candidates, Fram slightly closes the gap, with Walkinshaw at 42 percent and Fram at 21 percent.
Then there is the financial aspect.
Fram’s campaign raised just over $250,000 in the first quarter of 2026, with around $135,000 remaining by March’s end, according to FEC records. Contributions came from all states and D.C., and every county in the new 11th district, without PAC money involved.
Walkinshaw, in contrast, collected over $630,000 in the same period, with nearly $210,000 from PACs. His campaign reported close to $800,000 in available funds as of March 31. Donald Brownlee, Walkinshaw’s campaign manager, stated that over the past year, they received more than 6,000 individual donations, averaging $25 each.
“The grassroots energy from our special election last year is still strong, and [Walkinshaw] is focused on securing a win for the Yes campaign in next week’s redistricting referendum,” Brownlee remarked.
Despite their differences, Fram aims to run a campaign free of internal conflicts. Fram and Walkinshaw, according to the campaign, are allies.
“There’s a distinction between winning and being satisfied with the manner of the victory,” Bruce explained. “For a campaign centered on hope and building something better, we must avoid attacking fellow Democrats. How will we escape from this malaise that Trump has drawn us into if we don’t strive to improve ourselves?”
To comprehend Fram’s motivation for running, her background is crucial. While Fram acknowledges her transgender identity, she claims it is “the 17th most interesting thing about” her. In 2024, upon her promotion to Space Force colonel, Fram became the highest-ranked openly transgender person in the military. However, the Supreme Court’s emergency stay on Trump’s executive order led to Fram and thousands of other transgender service members being ousted.
“That moment was devastating because it was when I realized the Supreme Court had effectively fired me,” Fram recalled.
Fram’s military journey began years earlier with an episode of “Star Trek: Next Generation.” Inspired by the character Geordi La Forge, Fram aspired to “make the warp engines go” and advance humanity into the stars. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2001 with a degree in aerospace engineering and pursued opportunities with organizations like NASA and Boeing.
However, the events of September 11, 2001, redirected Fram’s path. While driving from Minneapolis to Duluth to visit her girlfriend (now wife), she saw an American flag draped from an overpass and was moved to tears. “I walked into her apartment and said, ‘I’m going to join the Air Force,’” Fram recounted. By January 2003, Fram was in officer training school as former President George W. Bush was preparing for the invasion of Iraq.
During her first 13 years in the Air Force, Fram confided in only two people about her transgender identity. In one close call around 2014, Fram mistakenly brought a personal phone containing photos of herself into a classified area. After realizing the error, she turned over the device to security and waited anxiously. “My wife thought black helicopters would appear over our house,” she recalled. Five days later, security officers asked if she could be blackmailed over the pictures. Fram replied no, and they returned her phone.
On June 30, 2016, the Obama administration announced, “Effective immediately, transgender Americans may serve openly, and they can no longer be discharged or otherwise separated from the military just for being transgender.” Fram was prepared: she had drafted an email to her colleagues and a Facebook post to share her identity publicly. She took a deep breath and sent them.
Fram rushed to the Pentagon gym and “went nowhere faster than I’d ever gone anywhere in my life,” she said. Upon returning to her desk, her colleagues approached to shake her hand and express their honor in serving alongside her.
Four months later, Trump won his first presidential election.
During the 2016 campaign, Trump’s comments on transgender people were relatively moderate. He stated they should “use the bathroom they feel is appropriate” and generally avoided the topic.
However, in July 2017, the president announced on Twitter that, “After consultation with my Generals and military experts … the United States Government will not accept or allow … Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military.” Fram was uncertain if a tweet constituted an official order, but sensed a shift.
This trans ban was quickly challenged legally, leading to a March 2018 policy revising the ban to prevent new transgender enlistments while allowing those already serving to remain if diagnosed with “gender dysphoria” by a military doctor.
“At that point, it felt like being an endangered species,” Fram said, “where the policies were designed to be so burdensome that they expected us to walk away, eventually leading to our disappearance.” She chose to remain and became one of the founding members of Trump’s Space Force.
When Joe Biden assumed the presidency, he reversed the trans ban on his first day in office. Fram advanced through the military ranks, achieving the rank of colonel by the end of his term.
Meanwhile, Trump re-emerged on the national political stage, focusing his campaign on anti-trans rhetoric, criticizing Democrats for “transgender for everybody.” The GOP platform pledged to “End Left-wing Gender Insanity.” One of Trump’s campaign ads targeted Kamala Harris on the issue, stating: “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.”
“The 2017 tweet was an unexpected shock,” Fram said. “But by 2024, $200 million had been spent in the campaign’s final two months demonizing transgender people. It was like witnessing a distant hurricane approaching, wondering how severe it would be when it landed.”
As Trump’s potential return to office loomed, Fram was on a beach in Maine when her mother asked, “What’s your plan to flee?”
This resonated deeply with Fram, whose grandfather and great-grandfather, as family lore suggests, fled Germany at the onset of the Holocaust on a midnight train to Paris.
“I plan to stay and fight,” Fram told her mother. “The uniform gave me the courage to stand up when necessary.”
When the Supreme Court made the decision that led to her dismissal, Fram attended a final meeting with the joint staff, participating as a colonel due to the Space Force’s limited size. After providing a work update, Fram informed the admirals and generals about her “unexpected departure.”
“The person next to me asked, ‘Oh, why? What new assignment did you get? Where are you going?’” Fram recounted. “I replied, ‘Well, I don’t meet this administration’s standard for military excellence and readiness, so I will be placed on administrative leave in two days.’ It took a moment for the gravity of the situation to register with those present.”
Just as when she came out nearly a decade earlier, Fram said each individual at the meeting shook her hand and expressed, “It’s an honor to have served with you.”
Fram was placed on administrative leave in early June 2025. A week before her retirement—approved for January 1, 2026, following a bureaucratic delay—a three-star general summoned Fram to the Pentagon to relay a message: the customary retirement ceremonies would not be available. There would be no honor guard or band, her unit members could not attend, and she would not wear her uniform.
“Every petty and cruel part of this process was inflicted on us,” Fram stated.
Neither the Pentagon nor the White House responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
Later that month, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation hosted a ceremonial retirement for five transgender service members, including Fram, in Washington. Their uniforms were displayed on mannequins.
“Our uniforms are not coming off because we failed in our duty, but because we did it so well that what it represented could not be hidden away,” Fram said during the ceremony’s closing remarks. “We may be done with our military service, but we are not done serving.”
On April 28, 2025, Connolly announced he would not seek reelection after nine congressional terms, citing the return of esophageal cancer.
Just over a week later, on May 6—the same day the Supreme Court issued its emergency stay—Walkinshaw, Connolly’s chief of staff for 10 years, filed to run for the Democratic nomination to succeed his former boss. Connolly endorsed him that day and transferred $1.8 million to a PAC backing Walkinshaw, according to campaign finance records first reported by the Washington Examiner.
Connolly died on May 21, prompting a firehouse Democratic primary in the deep-blue district on June 28, ahead of a September 9 special election. Even posthumously, Connolly’s campaign sent emails soliciting donations for Walkinshaw, while his X account encouraged early voting for him, the Examiner reported. Walkinshaw secured a decisive primary victory, garnering nearly 60 percent of the vote.
Meanwhile, Fram and Bruce—acquainted since 2018—were on a collision course with Walkinshaw. As Walkinshaw launched his campaign, Bruce was on her way to a Space Force reenlistment ceremony when the court’s decision forced her out of service. She went on administrative leave the following week. Although Fram had considered running for Virginia’s 11th District, she couldn’t retire quickly enough to enter the special election.
By September, however, Fram and Bruce began seriously planning a 2026 campaign.
“If this administration believes they can expel a group of highly motivated individuals without facing repercussions,” Fram stated, “this is a way to prove them wrong.”
