I’m Abigail Spanberger. This is why I want Virginia’s vote for governor.
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In May, I spent a morning at a family-owned pharmacy in Hanover County, which voted for President Donald Trump by more than 25 points in 2024.
I was there with local pharmacists and students, a Hanover County mother whose daughter is battling cancer, and scores of reporters to announce my plan as the next governor to lower Virginians’ healthcare and prescription drug costs. The event caught the attention of some community members, who greeted me with red T-shirts, Make America Great Again hats, and Trump campaign buttons.
The group included a local Tea Party member. After a brief joke about our party allegiances, the conversation quickly turned to topics.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger speaks at a get-out-the-vote rally on the first day of early voting in front of the Eastern Government Center on September 19, 2025 in Henrico County, Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Her daughter, who is battling cancer, had recently lost her health benefits. As medical bills and worries mounted, so did frustration.
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What started with him leaving home one rainy Wednesday morning to hold me accountable turned into a meaningful conversation about one of the challenges I hear most from families, veterans, seniors and youth across our state: the rising cost of medical care.
But it’s not just high health care costs that are keeping Virginians up at night. Everywhere I travel across the state — since I first launched my campaign to serve as Virginia’s next governor — the No. 1 challenge Virginians share with me is the frustration of high costs. Rising rent and mortgage payments, energy bills and pharmacy counter prices are weakening Virginians’ paychecks. Virginians who work hard to get by deserve a governor who is focused on doing everything he can to provide them with real relief.
I’m currently hitting the road for my 11-day statewide bus tour with over 40 stops as we race towards Election Day. We’re going everywhere from Lee County’s “Where Virginia Begins” to Leesburg to Norfolk to Nelson County to determine the stakes in this year’s election — because this year, Virginians have the opportunity to elect leadership that actually puts our nation first.
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger speaks at the Everytown for Gun Safety rally on April 10, 2025 in Alexandria, Virginia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Since that rainy morning in May, I have also implemented plans to lower Virginians’ housing costs and lower Virginians’ energy bills. I have implemented my plans to increase workforce training opportunities; because a four-year degree is not the right path for everyone. And I put into action my plan to make Virginia’s public schools the best in the country. My opponent—Virginia’s current lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears—has not shown the slightest interest in meeting these challenges. He has laid out no real plan to make Virginia more affordable or grow our economy.
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Virginians — including the more than 300,000 federal employees who call our nation home — are grappling with the fallout from the Trump administration’s DOGE layoffs, the use of this devastating government shutdown to fuel those layoffs, and unpredictable tariffs. My opponent ignored the devastating effects of these cuts on the Virginia economy and even mocked Virginians worried about losing their jobs. As Virginia’s next governor, I remain open-minded about threats to our community and will always defend Virginians’ jobs and Virginia’s economy.
If you are a registered voter in Virginia, my name will be on your ballot this year. You may still be deciding who to trust with your vote. In fact, you may be reading this right now and thinking, “I’m a Republican, so why would I vote for a Democrat?”
Abigail Spanberger, Democratic Party of Virginia candidate for governor, speaks at a campaign event in Richmond on April 8, 2025. (Max Posner/Washington Post/Getty Images)
I won my first campaign in 2018 — in a district that hadn’t elected a Democrat in 50 years — in part because thousands of Virginians were asking themselves that question. And ultimately, these voters believed that a leader should be elected who would put the people of Virginia first, not a political party, a group of donors, or a president.
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Since I first entered politics, I have focused on addressing some of the most pressing issues facing Virginia families and businesses, from protecting Virginians’ access to healthcare to lowering the cost of living and keeping our communities safe. My focus has not changed and I am ready to get to work delivering for Virginians on day one.
And as I always say: I may be a Democrat, but you don’t have to be a Democrat to vote for me. I would be honored to earn your vote and grateful to serve as your governor.
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