Former Virginia first lady Dorothy McAuliffe launched her campaign for the commonwealth's 7th Congressional District on Wednesday, joining a crowded Democratic primary race.

“Virginians are working harder than ever, but the middle class is still out of reach for too many,” McAuliffe said, who served as U.S. special representative for global partnerships during the Biden administration, The Hill news outlet reported. Her husband is former Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), a major Democratic fundraiser.

“We need a leader who has a record of delivering and can finally bring down costs for families, who will increase access to affordable healthcare, and who will never back down from holding Donald Trump and [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement] accountable,” she added.

The district that McAuliffe is running in is situated in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.

Former federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney and Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer, who serves as the chair of the Virginia House of Delegates’ campaign arm, are also running in the district's Democratic primary, which is Aug. 4.

Meanwhile, Virginia Democrats are preparing for a referendum next month that would ask voters to let them temporarily pass a new congressional map, which would give the party up to four pickup opportunities in November.