Former Pence adviser Olivia Troye launches run for Congress as a Democrat

2026 ElectionFormer Pence adviser Olivia Troye launches run for Congress as a DemocratTroye, who resigned from the White House in 2020 and became a vocal critic of President Trump, will run in Virginia's redrawn 7th Congressional District, which is Democratic-friendly.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Olivia Troye, a former Trump national security official, launches a Democratic bid for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 14, 2026, 7:00 AM EDTBy Sahil KapurOlivia Troye, a former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence who left the White House in 2020 and became a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, announced Tuesday that she’s running for Congress as a Democrat.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.She is positioning herself as “a proud Democrat” and “MAGA’s top enemy,” according to her announcement, someone who has “faced countless death threats from MAGA.”Troye will run in Virginia’s new 7th Congressional District, in anticipation that the state will pass a redrawn map to try to boost Democratic seats in the House. She faces a crowded primary field that includes Virginia's former first lady Dorothy McAuliffe and multiple state lawmakers.The new lobster-shaped district stretches south from the Washington suburbs to include Harrisburg and areas around Richmond. Democrats would be the clear favorites: It voted for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by 8 percentage points in 2024 and for Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger last year by 17 points, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.Add NBC News to GoogleKornacki: Virginia Democrats 'may have some work to do' on redistricting referendum04:49Troye began her career in GOP politics working for the Republican National Committee and the George W. Bush administration. She became an intelligence officer and later was an aide in Pence’s office,...