Hung Cao wins crowded GOP nomination battle in Virginia

LEESBURG, Va. (AP) - A political newcomer and Vietnamese immigrant emerged from a field of 11 candidates to win the Republican nomination in a northern Virginia congressional district.

Hung Cao, a retired Navy officer, won the nomination in Virginia’s 10th District, which encompasses the outer suburbs of the nation’s capital.

He will face two-term Democratic incumbent Jennifer Wexton in November.

Republicans chose Cao in a firehouse primary with ranked-choice voting.

He led through every round, but multiple candidates were eliminated before he achieved a majority over his closest competitor, Prince William County Supervisor Jeanine Lawson.