Abigail Spanberger won the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election in November. In a decisive victory, Spanberger was the best choice by voters for the next governor of Virginia.
Spanberger, a former U.S. representative and CIA case officer, defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger received 57% of the vote. Not only was Spanberger widely viewed as the more qualified contender, but she also presented a clear and correct vision for Virginia’s highest office.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and an MBA in Germany, she served as a federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, focusing on narcotics and money-laundering cases.
She later joined the CIA as a case officer, working undercover to help prevent terrorist attacks. Twelve years after entering the agency, Spanberger transitioned to the private sector, where she worked for nearly four years. During that time, the 2016 election pushed her to become more politically engaged.
Motivated by issues such as healthcare, she trained with Emerge, a program that recruits and prepares women to run for office. In the 2018 midterms, she ran for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District and became the first woman in 50 years to represent the district in the U.S. House. Spanberger’s pro-choice views contrast with Sears’ extreme record attacking women’ s reproductive rights. Sears criticized abortion as “genocide,” further affirming the fact that Spanberger was the best candidate in terms of women’s rights in 2025.
Spanberger served three terms in Congress and was known for her bipartisan approach. Sears, on the other hand, was pro-Trump, anti-DEI, a supporter of gun rights and anti-LGBT rights. While Spanberger was willing to have conversations with voters who disagreed with her maturely, Sears was often inflammatory in her demeanor, alienating moderates instead of bringing them to her side.
Sears’ close political alignment with former President Donald Trump also did her no favors. She backed Trump through two prolonged government shutdowns and supported his cuts to SNAP benefits. For many Virginians, the election reflected broader national dissatisfaction with the Republican Party.
Spanberger was necessary to elect as part of a nationwide democratic pushback against Trump and the current extreme Republican rhetoric. Spanberger has pledged to strengthen public schools and make Virginina more affordable. These are issues at the top of voters’ minds as inflation continues to rise and there is increased worry about the next generation. In the end, voters made their choice, and Spanberger was the right one for Virginia.
