VA-GOV: Spanberger is poised to win big in Virginia

[RandySF]

NORFOLK, Virginia — Six months out from November, Virginia Democrats believe the governor’s race is Abigail Spanberger’s to lose.

There’s a risk the former member of Congress could get bogged down by national malaise toward the Democratic Party, and her margins could end up being tight because of the negative Democratic brand.

But Democrats are hopeful that Spanberger can overcome that national dynamic. She flipped a competitive district in 2018 that stretches into rural Southwest Virginia and she benefits from the unpopular actions of President Donald Trump. His stop-and-start trade war coupled with the elimination of thousands of federal jobs and looming Medicaid cuts are widely unwelcome in the Commonwealth. Spanberger enjoys strong name recognition and is far out-fundraising her opponent, a candidate who even some fellow Republicans are wincing about.

A sweeping Democratic victory this fall could spook Republicans in Congress over their inaction to Trump’s aggressive agenda and provide a blueprint for staying laser focused on kitchen table issues like economic uncertainty and federal belt-tightening that the party can ride into the midterms next year.




https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/01/spanberger-va-opening-00377093

[dsc]

1. I doubt she will win by the amount she is up now

Stein was up by close to 20 and won by closer to 15 against a much more damaged candidate. Races tighten.

[spooky3]

4. Sorry--who is Stein? Nt

[mucholderthandirt]

8. Josh Stein, our new Dem governor in NC. Ran a great race against a MAGA idiot.

[spooky3]

10. Thanks! Nt

[littlemissmartypants]

9. NC Governor Josh Stein. He's going to be on Colbert on Monday if you want to see him. ❤️

https://www.democraticunderground.com/106913195

[spooky3]

11. Thanks! Nt

[dsc]

12. NC Governor elected in 2024

He ran against Mark Robinson who not only was a right wing nut bag but had written posts on a porn site extolling the virtues of Hitler. This race in VA has a somewhat similar dynamic with the Democrat being a bit better candidate than Stein and the GOP candidate being somewhat better than Robinson.

[underpants]

6. I'd be surprised if she's not POTUS eventually

I’ve been in a room at events with her three times and everyone, including my wife, was blown away.

She took a rock solid Republican district (Bliley-Cantor-Bratt) away from them as western Henrico turned blue. This was Phillip Morris’s district for decades. They’ve moved her district two times to be a 50/50 but she’s beaten everyone. I heard the Republican Mayor of Bowling Green VA on talk radio praising her office’s outreach and service to constituents as well as Abbie going into the reddest parts. At the ball games church parades etc.

Oh and Sears is a nutcase. Her fundraising isn’t because of GA time. The VA GOP knew what was coming and let her have it.

[Cha]

16. TY.. and the last time Abagail Spanberger ran

she Righteously complained that the "Defund the Police" was making it really hard to counteract.. paraphrasing.

I've always liked her from afar. It's good to see her Winning in Virginia!

[RandySF]

17. Yes, but was on the top of the ballot.

[Bo Zarts]

2. Virginia and NJ gubernatorial wins this Fall are absolutely essential to Dems' survival in 2026 ..

So sayeth both Gov. Tim Walz and Congressman Jim Clyburn at the South Carolina State Democratic convention in Columbia yesterday. I heard them with my own ears .. I was a county delegate there. And they pounded that message, over and over.

[spooky3]

3. Count on Politico to give it a negative spin for Dems.

Do they have polls showing the electorate is thrilled with TFG and the Rs?

[JI7]

7. Yup, we have already won some other elections this year

What matters is winning elections. Not tryng to be popular with everyone.

[Keepthesoulalive]

5. Don't jinx us

Our enemy is complacency. The republican candidate is a liberty university nut, but that has never stopped republicans.

[republianmushroom]

13. It can happen, losing it.

Hopefully it will not happen.

[Mountainguy]

14. Sears is a terrible candidate

Openly supported DOGE in a state with 340k federal employees, among other really dumb things she's done.

On the flip side, Spanberger is one of the brightest up and comers in the party. She's shown the ability to go into a right leaning district and take it. I think she wins this thing going away and don't write her off in 2028.

[Cha]

15. Brilliant.. as it very well should be!

TY!