Abigail Spanberger wins, makes history as Virginia’s first female governor

Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia’s gubernatorial race Tuesday, becoming the state’s first female governor and delivering a major win for Democrats ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Ms. Spanberger, 46, was declared the winner shortly after polls closed at 7 p.m. With 33% of the vote counted, she led Ms. Earle-Sears by a margin of 55% to 45%.

Ms. Earle-Sears had hoped to become the first Black woman elected governor in any U.S. state.

Preliminary exit polls showed Ms. Spanberger performed strongly among women, independents, suburban voters, and federal employees — a group particularly affected by the ongoing government shutdown. In addition to her service in the House, she is a former CIA operations officer.

The same polls also indicated that President Trump’s approval rating remains underwater with Virginia voters, potentially contributing to the Republican’s loss.

Split-ticket voting also was a hot topic Tuesday night, with political analysts keeping a close eye on voters who might mix and match across party lines.

Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares was seen as the biggest beneficiary — and a potential bright spot for the GOP — despite a challenging environment. 

His race drew extra attention after reports surfaced that his Democratic opponent, Jay Jones, had sent a disturbing 2022 text to a GOP colleague, fantasizing about shooting then-Republican Speaker Todd Gilbert.  

Mr. Miyares made direct appeals to Spanberger supporters, including on Tuesday when he posted a video thanking a voter who split their ticket — backing Ms. Spanberger for governor and him for attorney general. 

Republicans were also eyeing the lieutenant governor’s race, hoping their candidate, John Reid, could edge out Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, who entered election night with a narrow polling lead.

And with control of the House of Delegates up for grabs, both parties were bracing for a long night.

Democrats eyed possible flips in more than a half-dozen House districts won by Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

Throughout the race, Ms. Earle-Sears struggled to find her footing.

She vowed to expand upon the legacy of term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin by pursuing polices to create jobs and foster a business-friendly agenda. 

The former Marine mechanic went all-in on transgender issues, criticizing Ms. Spanberger’s support for a bill in Congress that prevented biological men who identify as women from being denied access to shared public facilities, including restrooms, locker rooms, and dressing rooms.

She also called on Ms. Spanberger to show authentic leadership by demanding that Mr. Jones drop out of the race.

But heading into Election Night, polls showed Ms. Earle-Sears, a proud conservative, would need a last-minute miracle to overcome months of polling that showed her trailing in the race. 

She also faced headwinds from Washington, known as the “Virginia curse” — a trend in which the party of the newly elected president historically struggles in Virginia’s gubernatorial race.

Mr. Trump, who did not campaign with Ms. Earle-Sears, lost Virginia in three straight presidential races. Preliminary exit polls on Tuesday showed 56% of voters disapproved of his performance, compared to 41% who approved.

Meanwhile, Ms. Spanberger effectively capitalized on voter dissatisfaction with Mr. Trump and the economic uncertainty stemming from his policies, aligning her message with the broader political headwinds emanating from Washington.

She positioned herself as a pragmatic leader willing to challenge Mr. Trump’s policies, including on abortion rights. She denounced the president’s tariffs, cuts to future health care spending, and reductions to the federal workforce that have affected many of the roughly 140,000 government employees living in Virginia.

The message resonated with voters in Northern Virginia, who said Ms. Spanberger seemed willing to work across party lines, describing her as a competent voice in a chaotic time.

Her supporters cited her support for abortion rights, and their dismay with Washington during the shutdown. They cast the election as a referendum on Mr. Trump and the nation’s negative trajectory.

Leah Heath, a realtor, said it was the first time she has voted for a straight Democratic ticket.

“It was kind of an obvious choice, if you ask me,” Ms. Heath said. “You’re kind of for or against the current administration.”

It was a familiar sentiment.

“We need to get as many Democrats as possible to undo the damage from the current administration,” said a retired 79-year-old voter who declined to give her name.

Ms. Earle-Sears’ supporters said they wanted to see the continuation of Youngkin-era policies, while also expressing concern about crime, political violence, and the economy under Democratic leadership.

Voter Roger Rockhill told CNN outside a polling place in Northern Virginia that he was unable to support any Democratic candidates following the revelation of the Jones texting scandal.

“It made me not want to look at any of the Democratic candidates - especially the governor,” Mr. Rockhill said. “Anybody who does it in writing and the person running for governor isn’t going to denoune that and ask him to suspend his candidacy is wrong.”