Abigail Spanberger, a former Democratic congresswoman and CIA officer, shall be elected Virginia’s subsequent governor and change into the state’s first female chief government, NCS’s Decision Desk projects.
She beat Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears after working a marketing campaign targeted on affordability and addressing local concerns about the impact of federal job cuts and the government shutdown on a state with greater than 300,000 US authorities workers. Spanberger additionally incessantly tied Earle-Sears to President Donald Trump, labeling the Republican as a Trump acolyte even though the president didn’t endorse her.
Her victory will flip management from Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and provides nationwide Democrats a lift as they fight to reply to the second Trump administration.
It’s additionally a lift for centrists within the Democratic Party who’ve fought to determine themselves as a key a part of the Democratic coalition because of their capacity to win in swing districts and purple states. Along with Mikie Sherrill, who NCS projected received the race for New Jersey governor on Tuesday, Spanberger represents what many Democratic leaders imagine is a mannequin for reversing Trump’s beneficial properties by working extra average candidates with backgrounds in nationwide safety and public service.
Spanberger’s victory got here as Democrats swept all three statewide positions up on this yr’s election. NCS projected Ghazala Hashmi because the winner of Virginia lieutenant governor’s race, placing her on a path to change into the nation’s first Muslim girl elected to statewide workplace. And within the legal professional normal’s race, Jay Jones overcame the disclosure of textual content messages during which he advised a former legislative colleague must be shot, and NCS projected he’ll unseat incumbent Jason Miyares.
Spanberger, 46, is a mom of three who served in regulation enforcement and the CIA earlier than getting into politics. She was first elected to Virginia’s seventh Congressional District after beating former Rep. Dave Brat, who shocked onetime House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Republican main, and served three phrases earlier than leaving the House this yr.
Supporters cheer as they look ahead to Abigail Spanberger to talk after she was projected to win on the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday. – Alex Wong/Getty Images
She got here out to very large cheers from her supporters at her election evening occasion Tuesday evening after NCS projected the Democrat would win Virginia’s governor race.
“Tonight we sent a message,” she stated. “We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship.”
The first girl governor-elect stated, “A few minutes ago, Adam said to our daughters, ‘Your mom’s going to be the governor of Virginia,’ and I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia ever before.”
“It is a big deal that the girls and the young women I have met along the campaign trail now know with certainty that they can achieve anything,” she stated.
In marketing campaign messaging, Spanberger incessantly touted her want to convey individuals collectively and preserve communities protected. Her regulation enforcement background led her to obtain the coveted endorsement of Virginia’s Police Benevolent Association, regardless that the identical group endorsed the Republican ticket 4 years in the past. The Virginia PBA this yr endorsed Republicans for lieutenant governor and legal professional normal.
She remained a disciplined messenger, specializing in financial points whereas hitting Earle-Sears on social points resembling abortion entry and same-sex marriage. Her advertisements aimed to painting Earle-Sears as a strident, rigid conservative and infrequently used variations of the identical clip of Earle-Sears telling an unruly crowd, “I am speaking!”
Earle-Sears tried to recreate Youngkin’s winning playbook from 4 years in the past towards Democrat Terry McAuliffe, emphasizing deregulatory initiatives that may develop Virginia’s workforce. But she confronted doubts from members of her personal social gathering all through the competition about her marketing campaign technique and was working in a yr when a Republican leads the White House. Historically, the social gathering that doesn’t management Washington most frequently prevails in Virginia’s gubernatorial election.
An immigrant from Jamaica who served within the Marines, Earle-Sears holds socially conservative views on abortion and same-sex marriage. She made transgender youths’ participation in sports activities and insurance policies round their use of public-school loos a core focus, incessantly showing alongside involved dad and mom at information conferences throughout the state.
Spanberger declined repeatedly to get into specifics on these points, saying she most popular native faculties and districts enact their very own insurance policies.
This story has been up to date with extra particulars.
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