Trump's plan to slash government could hurt Republicans in a key House race

• Trump has proposed moving 100,000 federal employees out of the D.C. area, as well as going after non-political government workers.
• GOP House candidate said he will oppose plan to protect jobs in his Virginia district.

WASHINGTON — For nearly a decade, former president Donald Trump has rallied voters around a cry to cut the size of the federal government and "drain the swamp."

But now one Republican running in a key House race is trying to distance himself from the proposed cuts, and from Trump's plan to move 100,000 federal workers out of the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area while firing "rogue bureaucrats" – policies that could cost the area's economy billions of dollars.

Derrick Anderson is the Republican nominee running in a competitive race to represent Virginia's seventh congressional district in the House. The district has almost 60,000 federal employees living in it, or about 15% of the population. Even more work as federal contractors.

Anderson said in a statement to CNBC that he will, "oppose any legislation that could weaken national security, raise the cost of living, or hurt VA-7 jobs, regardless of where it comes from."

"This is my home district and I'll do everything I can to protect it," he said.

Virginia's seventh district is one of the most competitive House races in the country, according to Cook Political Report. But Anderson is not alone. He is the latest example of how Republican congressional candidates in tough races are being selective about how they align themselves with Trump and how they show their independence.

Although Republicans held the House this year, their slim margins often led to chaos, an inability to move some of their major priorities and struggles to approve must-pass bills.

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