Former Deputy to Special Counsel Jack Smith, J.P. Cooney, who was a lead prosecutor in both federal criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump and then was fired when Trump returned to the White House, is running for Congress in Virginia’s newly-drawn 7th District — supposing that redistricting takes effect.
[Note: The proposed new Congressional map, the legality of which will be determined by the Virginia Supreme Court after a statewide voter referendum on the measure occurs on April 21, “could give Democrats a potential 10-1 majority in Virginia’s congressional districts,” according to estimates by the Virginia Public Access Project. Virginia currently has six Democratic and five Republican U.S. representatives.]
With the video below, Cooney wrote this weekend: “Wow! Thank you to the more than 12,000 people who followed me in the last 24 hours.” Cooney also reported that within the first 24 hours of announcing his campaign, “more than 2,200 people helped us raise $200,000.”
Wow! Thank you to the more than 12,000 people who followed me in the last 24 hours. If you’re new here, my name is J.P. Cooney. I served as the Deputy to Special Counsel Jack Smith, and I was a lead prosecutor in both federal criminal prosecutions of President Trump. Then, I was… pic.twitter.com/yAM24Jc00C
— J.P. Cooney (@cooneycongress) February 14, 2026
(Cooney will try to ride what Democrats are hoping is a blue wave of wins in the upcoming midterm elections, a result some political observers see foretold by recent special election wins in Texas, Louisiana and elsewhere. Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman, another Trump antagonist, who currently represents the 7th District, said he will run in the new 1st District, assuming the redistricting plan is effective.)
First weekend of our campaign in Virginia’s new 7th District, and we’re just getting started.
After being fired from Trump’s DOJ for prosecuting him, I decided to run for Congress.
In our first 24 hours, more than 2,200 people helped us raise $200,000 to win this race. I cannot… pic.twitter.com/G6Gi8pRt84
— J.P. Cooney (@cooneycongress) February 14, 2026
Fairfax County News reports that Republican Doug Ollivant, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, will likely run against Cooney on the assumption that his home base of Culpeper County will be redrawn into the new 7th District. As seen below, Ollivant today encouraged Virginia voters to vote against the new map on April 21.
— Douglas Ollivant (@DouglasOllivant) February 15, 2026
Note: Ollivant is listed as a managing director of Mantid International, a global consulting firm founded by Ginger Cruz, who in 2024 ran as a Democrat for Guam’s delegate seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and lost to incumbent Republican James Moylan.