Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger said Monday she will run for Virginia governor instead of a fourth term in the House.
Ms. Spanberger, a 44-year-old former CIA officer, said her state is at a “crossroads” ahead of the 2025 election and needs better leadership.
“Our country and our commonwealth are facing fundamental threats to our rights, our freedoms, and to our democracy,” she said in a nearly three-minute launch video. “While some politicians in Richmond focus on banning abortion and books, what they’re not doing is helping people. I know how to bring people together.”
The congresswoman announced her bid about a week after Democrats took control of the state Legislature.
The current governor, Republican Glenn Youngkin, enthused the GOP with his 2021 win and had hoped to solidify the GOP’s grip on Richmond. He cannot run for a consecutive term under Virginia law, opening the door to alternatives testing the waters.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a Democrat, might run, while Attorney General Jason Miyares and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears are possible contenders on the Republican side, according to The Associated Press.
The state has swung between Democrat and Republican governors in recent decades.
Ms. Spanberger’s launch video focuses on her roots in central Virginia, her decision to raise a family in the state and her legislative work on issues like veterans benefits, lowering drug costs and supporting first responders and small businesses. She characterized those issues as a contrast to a GOP agenda that includes limits on abortion or attempts to ban books in schools that include adult material.
“When we rise above the chaos and division,” she says, “we can focus on what matters most to Virginians.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.