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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsVA-GOV: Spanberger is poised to win big in Virginia
NORFOLK, Virginia Six months out from November, Virginia Democrats believe the governors race is Abigail Spanbergers to lose.
Theres 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 Trumps 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
(53,321 posts)Stein was up by close to 20 and won by closer to 15 against a much more damaged candidate. Races tighten.
spooky3
(38,262 posts)mucholderthandirt
(1,753 posts)spooky3
(38,262 posts)littlemissmartypants
(31,626 posts)spooky3
(38,262 posts)dsc
(53,321 posts)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
(194,865 posts)Ive 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 Morriss district for decades. Theyve moved her district two times to be a 50/50 but shes beaten everyone. I heard the Republican Mayor of Bowling Green VA on talk radio praising her offices 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 isnt because of GA time. The VA GOP knew what was coming and let her have it.
Cha
(316,726 posts)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
(81,111 posts)Bo Zarts
(26,254 posts)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
(38,262 posts)Do they have polls showing the electorate is thrilled with TFG and the Rs?
JI7
(93,197 posts)What matters is winning elections. Not tryng to be popular with everyone.
Keepthesoulalive
(2,119 posts)Our enemy is complacency. The republican candidate is a liberty university nut, but that has never stopped republicans.
republianmushroom
(22,122 posts)Hopefully it will not happen.
Mountainguy
(2,145 posts)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
(316,726 posts)TY!