Former Jack Smith Deputy J.P. Cooney Launches Congressional Bid in Virginia

J.P. Cooney, a former top deputy to ex-special counsel Jack Smith, announced Wednesday that he is entering the political arena, launching a campaign for Congress in Virginia as a Democrat.

In a statement released by his campaign, Cooney framed his candidacy as a direct challenge to President Donald Trump and Republicans in Washington.

“I’m running for Congress because never before in the history of our country has a president of the United States posed a graver threat to our Democracy, our rule of law, and the economic security of American families. And never before have we had a complicit Congress rubber stamp a lawless president like Donald Trump,” Cooney said.

He added, “I stood up to Donald Trump as a federal prosecutor, and I’ll do it again in Congress.”

Cooney plans to run in Virginia’s newly redrawn 7th Congressional District, which could become an open seat if a proposed congressional map takes effect ahead of the midterm elections.

Democrats in the Virginia state legislature advanced a House map this week that, if ultimately approved, would give the party a 10-1 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. However, the plan has already encountered legal obstacles. A state court recently issued a ruling that could prevent the new map from taking effect before November, though Democrats are appealing that decision.

Cooney’s campaign is banking on Virginia voters approving the new district lines in an April referendum. If the map stands, it would significantly reshape the state’s congressional landscape.

Currently, Rep. Eugene Vindman, a Democrat, represents Virginia’s 7th District. Under the proposed map, Vindman would be shifted to the 1st District, potentially opening the door for Cooney’s bid in the redrawn 7th.

Cooney previously served as a prosecutor in both criminal prosecutions of Trump. He was later fired from his position after the president removed officials who had been part of Jack Smith’s teams. During the 2024 campaign, Trump had pledged to fire Smith on his first day back in office. Smith ultimately resigned before Trump’s second inauguration.

The former lead prosecutor on both of Jack Smith's criminal cases against President Trump just announced he's running for Congress in Virginia as a Democrat.

He says "never before has a President posed a graver threat to democracy… I stood up to Donald Trump as a prosecutor… pic.twitter.com/5A9b5XQiOM

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 11, 2026

Following his departure from the Department of Justice, Cooney teamed up with another attorney to launch a law firm focused on public corruption cases.

His entry into the race sets up what could become a high-profile contest in a district that is already at the center of a broader political battle over redistricting in Virginia. With Democrats pushing for a map that would heavily favor their party and legal challenges still playing out, the future of the 7th District remains uncertain.

Cooney’s campaign message makes clear that he intends to make his prior role in the prosecutions of Trump a central part of his pitch to voters. By highlighting his time as a federal prosecutor and casting his congressional run as a continuation of that fight, he is positioning himself squarely as an opponent of the president and his agenda.

As Virginia voters prepare to weigh in on the proposed district lines, Cooney is moving quickly to stake his claim in a potentially reshaped political landscape — one that could significantly alter the balance of power in the state’s congressional delegation.