Republicans are blasting Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger for backing a policy that allows biological males to compete in women’s sports if they identify as transgender.
When asked on Tuesday by a local news outlet about her stance on transgender bathroom use in schools and sports participation, Spanberger responded by saying that she supported a policy in place before incumbent Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin took office, which determined sports participation on a case-by-case basis. Youngkin, who is not eligible to run for re-election this year, introduced model school policies stipulating that participation in sports should be based on sex, not gender identity.
“So in Virginia, we previously, until very recently, had a process in place where on an individual, one-by-one basis, schools, parents, principals, coaches were making decisions based on fairness, competitiveness, and safety, where a child might be able or might not be able to play in a particular sport,” Spanberger told WSET on Tuesday. “It was in place for ten years over that time. There were roughly 40 kids who went through the process. Some were denied the ability to play the sport they wanted to play. Some were approved.”
“I think that … the process that was in place for 10 years was one that was working. It was one that took individual circumstances and individual communities into account, and I think that is the process that Virginia should continue to utilize,” she added.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican facing off against Spanberger in November, ripped into her lengthy answer.
“Abigail Spanberger just went full Kamala Harris to avoid a simple yes or no question,” Earle-Sears said. “The answer is YES—Abigail supports men in girls’ sports, restrooms, and locker rooms.”
Abigail Spanberger just went full Kamala Harris to avoid a simple yes or no question.
The answer is YES—Abigail supports men in girls’ sports, restrooms, and locker rooms. pic.twitter.com/adkYiXZRaa
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) September 24, 2025
Earle-Sears has run several ads targeting Spanberger’s previous support for pro-transgender policies during her time in the House.
“Spanberger wants boys to play sports and share locker rooms with little girls. And Spanberger will let children change genders without telling their parents,” one recent ad says.
The Republican Governors Association also ripped into Spanberger, saying that she doubled “down on her support for biological men in girls’ sports, locker rooms, and bathrooms. Not only is this wrong, it’s putting Virginia girls at risk.”
“Abigail Spanberger was asked a yes-or-no question about protecting women’s sports and private spaces. Her response? Confusion, deflection, and word salad. Virginia cannot afford this INSANITY,” said the American Principles Project, a conservative advocacy group.
The issue of transgenderism in schools was one of the defining issues of the 2021 gubernatorial election in Virginia, where Youngkin defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe. The issue came to a head after The Daily Wire reported that a male wearing a skirt had sexually assaulted a girl in a Loudoun County high school bathroom.