Abigail Spanberger, rumored for the past few months to be gearing up for a run at the Virginia governor job in 2025, made it official on Monday, announcing her candidacy for the Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination.
“The greatest honor of my life has been to represent Virginians in the U.S. House. Today, I am proud to announce that I will be working hard to gain the support and trust of all Virginians to continue this service as the next governor of Virginia,” said Spanberger, who is in her third term representing the Seventh District in the U.S. House.
The former federal law enforcement and CIA officer was first elected to the seat in the Seventh, a district that stretches from the D.C. and Richmond suburbs to the Blue Ridge, in 2018, flipping a seat then held by Dave Brat, a far-right conservative who had upset House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in 2014.
A moderate in the House Democratic caucus, Spanberger has not shied away from fights with her own party’s leadership on key issues, notably clashing with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over Spanberger’s effort to ban stock trading by members of Congress, a push that Pelosi has opposed.
She has cast herself in her time in Congress as being focused on getting things done, a position that her campaign highlighted in a video released on Monday as part of its rollout of her candidacy.
“I know how to bring people together and get real things done that improve lives. That’s why I’m running for governor. Because when we rise above the chaos and division, we can focus on what matters most to Virginians: lowering prescription drug prices, growing the middle class, lowering costs, and easing inflation,” Spanberger said in the video.
“No more using teachers and our kids as political pawns — it’s about focusing on recruiting and retaining teachers, so all of our kids can succeed. And stopping extremists from shredding women’s reproductive rights. Even in this moment of deep division, we can seize the opportunity. I am running to serve all Virginians in every community across our Commonwealth, because it’s about time we do what’s right for everyone. And that’s what matters most.”
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has been gearing up for a run at the Democratic Party nomination for governor, with Politico reporting last week that the former top advisor to former Gov. Terry McAuliffe is expected to formally announce his candidacy before the end of the calendar year.
On the Republican side, it is widely expected that Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares will each want to contest for the GOP nomination for governor in the 2025 cycle.
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Chris Graham
