RICHMOND, Va — Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to give Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the first woman ever to lead the commonwealth.
Spanberger’s win was the first in a big night for Democrats in Virginia and around the country, casting new doubts about President Donald Trump’s political strength less than a year into his second White House term.
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger appeared in a “Latinos for Spanberger” rally today (Thursday) in Alexandria.
Spanberger spoke at a packed event at Los Tios (2615 Mount Vernon Avenue) in Del Ray, flanked by Latino legislators Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Del. Alfonso Lopez D-Virginia House District 3), and City Council Member Canek Aguirre. Spanberger has a 10-digit lead against her opponent, Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, according to a recent Roanoke College poll.
By STEVE PEOPLES and OLIVIA DIAZ Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for Virginia governor, said Monday that she would not oppose a push by the state’s Democratic-controlled legislature to redraw congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will bring her “Virginia Votes Bus Tour” to Alexandria on Thursday, Oct. 30, as part of an 11-day, 40-plus-stop campaign swing across Virginia ahead of Election Day.
The Democratic gubernatorial candidate announced the tour Monday, saying she will visit all 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts between Oct. 25 and Election Day on Nov. 4.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia gubernatorial candidates Republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger faced off Thursday for the first and only time on the debate stage in a fiery affair that was combative from the very first answer.
Early voting for November’s general election starts on Friday, Sept. 19, across Virginia. Here’s what you need to know in Alexandria.
Early voting starts 45 days before election day, and the only contested elections voters can decide on in Alexandria are for the Virginia governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 7-point lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the race for Virginia governor, according to a new Roanoke College Poll that shows the contest tightening since the spring.
The survey, released by the college’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research Tuesday morning, found Spanberger supported by 46% of likely voters compared with 39% for Earle-Sears. Fourteen percent remain undecided, and 1% said they would back someone else. The numbers mark a closer race than in May, when Roanoke’s poll showed Spanberger ahead 43%-26%.
HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) — Against an olive drab backdrop in a barbecue joint filled with the aroma of pulled pork and the sweat of a Virginia summer, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears told voters she was running her campaign for governor like a military-style operation.
The lieutenant governor, a former Marine, said she would protect Virginia just as she did America. The way Earle-Sears tells it, not all attacks come from soldiers.
Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is opening a financial and polling gap in the race for governor, outraising her Republican opponent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by nearly 2-to-1 last quarter and entering the final four months of Virginia’s statewide election season with more than triple the cash on hand.
New campaign finance filings show the Democrat raised a record-breaking $10.7 million in the second quarter — including $4.3 million in the final weeks of June — and ended the period with $15.2 million in the bank. Earle-Sears brought in $5.9 million over the same three months, finishing June with $4.5 million on hand.
Roberta Finkelstein of Alexandria writes in strong support of Abigail Spanberger for Governor, citing her impressive background and focus on issues critical to Virginians.
This Letter to the Editor is in response to an April 10 ALXnow story on Spanberger’s rally and stance on gun safety.
With three statewide offices and all 100 House of Delegates seats up for grabs, Virginia Department of Elections campaign finance reports show candidates across the commonwealth pulled in a staggering $20.4 million between Jan. 1 and March 31, underscoring the intensity and razor-sharp competition ahead.
In the marquee governor’s race, Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger has soared to an early financial lead, raising $6.7 million to Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ $3.1 million. Spanberger enters the heart of campaign season with $11 million cash on hand — nearly three times more than her GOP opponent.
