Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger has won Virginia’s election for governor. Her win gives Democrats a boost heading into the 2026 midterm elections and compels Republicans to consider how President Donald Trump and his allies might fare in battleground states and districts.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to give Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the first woman ever to lead the commonwealth.

Spanberger’s victory will flip partisan control of the governor’s office when she succeeds outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Also Tuesday, Democrat Ghazala F. Hashmi won the lieutenant governor’s race and will succeed Earle-Sears. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to win a statewide office in the U.S.

Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA case officer, won with a campaign emphasizing economic issues, a strategy that may serve as a model for other Democrats in next year’s elections as they try to break Donald Trump’s and Republicans’ hold on power in Washington and gain ground in statehouses.

  • Notyou@sopuli.xyz
    1·
    1 day ago

    I haven’t heard anything about redistricting from sweater vest but it might have been talked about with other repubs. I doubt VA will do the redistricting thing to carve up more seats, but I wouldn’t mind being surprised by Spanberger.

    Edit: I just read they have 3 main agendas this time: protecting same sex marriage, eshrining abortion rights in an amendment, and passing redistricting reform that would then get voted on by the people.