Editorial: Spanberger makes Virginia history with landslide victory on Tuesday

The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press Editorial Board, The Virginian-Pilot on Nov 6, 2025

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It’s hard to make history in Virginia these days, if only because the commonwealth has been at the center of so much of it. The first English settlers arrived on these shores more than 400 years ago, and the first democratically elected colonial legislature, the House of Burgesses, followed shortly after.

Yet, from the election of our first chief executive in 1776, coming as the colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, Virginia had never elevated a woman to its highest office — until Tuesday, when Democrat Abigail Spanberger won a decisive majority in this year’s election.

Come January, she will take the oath of office as Virginia’s 75th governor, succeeding Republican Glenn Youngkin and making history in the process. Though to say she is defined only by her gender, rather than her ability, would be a mistake.

Spanberger, 46, is a native of New Jersey and moved to Virginia as a teenager. She graduated from J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico before attending the University of Virginia, graduating in 2001. She earned a master’s in business from Purdue University in 2002 and joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 2006.

Her work in the national intelligence service shaped her worldview, as it did for so many who served in those tumultuous years, and she has been steadfast in her defense of their work and their professionalism.

Election to Congress from Virginia’s “purple” 7th District followed in 2018. Spanberger would win two additional terms in office, distinguishing herself as someone who would favor the needs of her constituents over the will of her party when warranted.

That independent streak won her plaudits from her district, though she declined to seek reelection in 2024 and chose instead to run for statewide office. Spanberger may not be a flashy campaigner, but her common-sense moderation and a platform focused on household costs earned her a landslide victory on Tuesday.

Her opponent, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, deserves the commonwealth’s appreciation for her service these last four years. Public office is not for the faint hearted, and anyone who steps forward to do so should have our gratitude.

Her campaign, however, failed to inspire broad support across Virginia. She tried to paint Spanberger as an out-of-touch extremist, beholden to the far left of the Democratic Party when her record in Congress and her campaign platform demonstrated otherwise. It did not work.

For her part, Spanberger stayed focused throughout the election season, talking about cost-of-living concerns, strengthening public education, energy affordability and economic development. She was steady where Earle-Sears was erratic, especially in the candidates’ only face-to-face debate, and inspired trust through her measured policy positions and sense of reliability.

May those qualities serve her well in the coming months and years. Virginia has a great many challenges, several of which stem directly from the administration in the White House, and Spanberger will be challenged to keep her cool when the president, inevitably, lashes out.

But key to her victory was Spanberger’s focus on Virginia’s needs and Virginia’s issues rather than promising to merely be a bulwark against federal intrusion. Yes, she is expected to stand up for the commonwealth when needed — something the Youngkin administration repeatedly failed to do — but there is ample reason to believe that her focus will be in Richmond rather than on Washington.

Her reputation as a moderate should also give some comfort to supporters of Earle-Sears. As she proved in Congress, she won’t simply go along with Democratic leaders in the General Assembly because of a shared party affiliation. Expect her to govern with an eye on what’s best for the whole of the commonwealth, Republicans and Democrats alike.

Virginia is rich with history, as residents of Hampton Roads know well, and it was exciting to see these candidates compete to become the commonwealth’s first female governor. Now, the election has been decided, and Spanberger’s legacy will be forged by what she does in office, not only by the history she made this week.