Democrat Spanberger wins Virginia governor race : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5370x3580+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0f%2Fb1%2F70dd71d047478cd6064782d9c229%2F20251101-elex-dems-obama-sa1-8135-1.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5370x3580+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F0f%2Fb1%2F70dd71d047478cd6064782d9c229%2F20251101-elex-dems-obama-sa1-8135-1.jpg" class="img" alt="Abigail Spanberger gives remarks during rally Saturday in Norfolk, Virginia." fetchpriority="high"/> Democratic candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger provides remarks throughout a rally on Saturday in Norfolk, Virginia. Shaban Athuman/VPM Information cover caption

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Shaban Athuman/VPM Information Democrat Abigail Spanberger shall be Virginia's subsequent governor, in keeping with a race name by the Related Press.

Spanberger, who beforehand served three phrases within the U.S. Home, defeated her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. She'll be Virginia's first girl governor.

The competition obtained nationwide consideration as one of many first main exams of voter sentiment in response to the Trump administration's insurance policies.

Virginia is house to round 320,000 federal employees and a whole lot of 1000's of federal contractors. On the marketing campaign path, Spanberger argued that federal layoffs, cutbacks by President Trump's Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), tariffs, and the federal shutdown have been an assault on the Virginia economic system — and pitched herself as a approach for voters to push again.

"We want a governor who will acknowledge the hardship of this second, advocate for Virginians, and clarify that not solely are we watching individuals be challenged of their livelihoods and of their companies and in communities, however Virginia's economic system is underneath assault," Spanberger stated at a cease on a marketing campaign bus tour late final month.

That message resonated with Haley Morgan Wright, a voter whose husband is a federal worker at the moment working with out pay through the federal shutdown. She desires Spanberger to make use of her platform as governor to uplift the tales of civil servants like him.

"He cares about his nation, he desires to serve his nation and has opted to do it on this approach," she stated after casting a poll within the Northern Virginia exurbs. "He is not superfluous."

Spanberger was backed by nationwide Democrats Nationwide Democrats had seemed to Spanberger and Virginia Democrats for a lift heading into the 2026 midterms. Former President Barack Obama had campaigned for her and the get together backed her in what was certainly one of simply two governor's races this 12 months.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5758x3838+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F88%2F1c%2Fbfb51ac34b2b96a46973d1424072%2F110425-electiondayrmk17.JPG" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5758x3838+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F88%2F1c%2Fbfb51ac34b2b96a46973d1424072%2F110425-electiondayrmk17.JPG" class="img" alt="Voters cast their ballots at Huguenot High School on Tuesday in Richmond, Virginia." loading="lazy"/> Voters solid their ballots at Huguenot Excessive Faculty on Tuesday in Richmond, Virginia. Ryan M. Kelly/VPM Information cover caption

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Ryan M. Kelly/VPM Information "The DNC has been spending some huge cash and a number of time in Virginia," stated DNC Vice Chair Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta at a gathering for get together volunteers in Northern Virginia. "As a result of we all know that what you all do and the momentum that's going to come back out of your victories goes result in us flipping the Home of Representatives in 2026."

In 2021, Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe with 50.6% of the vote to 48.7%. Virginia governors are restricted to 1 four-year time period.

Spanberger, who served within the CIA earlier than operating for Congress in 2018, has cultivated a status as a practical centrist. The theme of her run for governor was "affordability" — chatting with Virginians' considerations about rising prices of housing, utility payments, pharmaceutical medicine, and the financial uncertainty she blamed on Trump's tariffs and federal layoffs.

Earle-Sears, in the meantime, portrayed herself for instance of the American dream — a Jamaican immigrant who grew to become a U.S. Marine and small enterprise proprietor.

She accused Spanberger of backing insurance policies on transgender rights that she stated are a risk to women' security in class bogs and locker rooms.

"Love shouldn't be having my daughter having to be pressured to undress in a locker room with a person. That is not love," Earle-Sears stated at a rally in late October. "Love is ensuring that our woman kids have alternatives in sports activities and will not be pressured to play in opposition to organic males."

Earle-Sears' stance on transgender college students in women' bogs sounded good to Elizabeth Drake, a voter who stated she works with youth at a church in Loudoun County.

"I really feel like we're really going again and setting ourselves again rather a lot by endangering girls," she stated. "I am not saying that that does not imply we are able to have different areas for individuals, however the girls's locker rooms, girls's bogs, girls's secure houses will not be it."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F66%2F92%2Fd739754f4b0eb61c570633c79367%2F20251029-ga-special-maps-sa1-1540.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F66%2F92%2Fd739754f4b0eb61c570633c79367%2F20251029-ga-special-maps-sa1-1540.jpg" class="img" alt="Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia General Assembly last month." loading="lazy"/> Winsome Earle-Sears, at the moment Virginia's lieutenant governor, within the Virginia Common Meeting final month. Shaban Athuman/VPM Information cover caption

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Shaban Athuman/VPM Information The race was jolted by late-breaking occasions She additionally attacked Spanberger for supporting Biden administration insurance policies. She vowed to proceed business-friendly polices of outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Whereas she backed Trump's insurance policies, Trump didn't endorse her.

A number of developments impacted the ultimate weeks of the race. The federal shutdown shadowed the ultimate month of early voting, with each campaigns blaming the opposite get together for the stalemate.

Virginia lawmakers started contemplating a plan to redistrict the state's congressional districts to favor Democratic candidates within the 2026 midterm elections, as President Trump pushes Republicans in different states to maneuver to favor their candidates. That might be a difficulty going through the subsequent Virginia governor.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4513x3416+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fed%2F8d%2Ff786c96b46e3965970119044c68b%2Fap25305726264023.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4513x3416+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fed%2F8d%2Ff786c96b46e3965970119044c68b%2Fap25305726264023.jpg" class="img" alt="Democrat Abigail Spanberger at a campaign event with former President Barack Obama over the weekend." loading="lazy"/> Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Spanberger over the weekend. Steve Helber/AP cover caption

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Steve Helber/AP And Republicans seized on revelations of textual content messages by Democratic candidate for lawyer normal, Jay Jones, during which he described the hypothetical capturing of a Republican lawmaker. Spanberger denounced the messages although Earle-Sears faulted her for not calling on Jones to drop out of the race.