After four years under a Republican governor, Virginia Democrats are determined to retake the executive seat with their nominee, Abigail Spanberger.
But party loyalty alone will not be enough to win in November. To succeed, Democrats must convince voters that the former congresswoman is a governor for all Virginians. That’s a tough sell, given that Spanberger’s record stands in sharp contrast to the image her campaign is pushing.
Since securing the gubernatorial nomination in April, Spanberger’s campaign has been working overtime to craft her public image as a moderate. Her website displays broad policy goals like strengthening the state’s schools, protecting people’s rights, and standing with Virginia’s veterans.
“Abigail’s story shows that when Virginians work together, we can fix problems and get big things done,” her website says.
But Spanberger’s record in Congress paints a different picture.
According to Heritage Action for America, a conservative advocacy group that tracks congressional voting records, Spanberger voted in alignment with conservative positions 5% of the time during her tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025. While partisan voting is common, her score was even lower than the House Democrat average of 10%.
Spanberger voted against the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would require states to obtain proof of identity and U.S. citizenship from people registering to vote. She also opposed the Secure the Border Act, which would have mandated the completion of the southern border wall and strengthened immigration enforcement.
The Democrat nominee received an “F” from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a nonprofit organization seeking to end abortion, for her record on abortion-related legislation. During her congressional campaign in 2022, when asked if she supported any restrictions on abortion, she replied, “It is not in any way appropriate for a federal legislator to mandate a pregnancy.”
Spanberger also voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would have guaranteed that female sports remained for females only, not for males who “identify” as female.
Despite this record, Spanberger continues to frame herself as an economic moderate. Last week, she released her “Growing Virginia Plan,” outlining goals like lowering costs for families and businesses, expanding job opportunities, and ensuring economic competitiveness.
“Whether we agree or disagree on every issue, I hope all Virginians can agree on the need
to keep Virginia’s economy competitive,” she stated. “Protecting Virginia’s economy should be a bipartisan priority. Together, we can get our economy back on track, lower costs for families and businesses, and create more opportunity for all Virginians.”
In a Fox News op-ed last month, Spanberger wrote that she will “never dismiss threats to Virginia’s economy.”
“Virginians deserve a governor who will put Virginia’s economy first in the face of ongoing threats, no matter if it’s a Democrat or a Republican in the White House,” Spanberger said in the article.
But Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee for governor, pointed to what she sees as contradictions in Spanberger’s message. Under the Biden administration—of which Spanberger has been a supporter—Virginians have faced significant inflation.
Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in December 2024, under Spanberger and former President Joe Biden’s leadership, the average household in Virginia paid $1,192 more per month to purchase the same basket of goods and services as in January 2021. In addition, Virginia experienced cumulative inflation exceeding 22% over that period.
Spanberger may present herself as a moderate focused on affordability and economic opportunity, but her voting record tells another story—one firmly rooted in Democrat orthodoxy. Virginians deserve a governor who is honest, not just in words, but in actions. And, on that front, Spanberger still has a lot to prove.