The far-reaching implications of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s election

What you probably already know: Democrats captured almost every major election across the country Tuesday night in a repudiation of President Trump’s policies. Perhaps the most dramatic outcome occurred in Virginia, where moderate Democrat Abigail Spanberger won in a landslide, garnering 57% of the vote. Spanberger, 46, a former CIA case officer who most recently served as a U.S. representative in Virginia’s 7^th district — the first woman to represent the district — will become the state’s first female governor. “Tonight, we sent a message,” Spanberger said at her election night watch party. “Tonight, we turned a page by listening to our neighbors, leading with decency and determination. It is the honor of my lifetime to be elected the 75^th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Why it matters: Spanberger’s campaign site says she was ranked as the most bipartisan member of Congress from Virginia, leading bipartisan efforts to prevent fentanyl overdoses, protect the state’s natural resources and support its veterans. In an interview with the Center for Effective Lawmaking several years ago, she said she’d rather be a one- or two-term congresswoman rather than compromise her principles, adding that her background in foreign policy and national security shapes her approach. “I think even that mentality, where it’s ingrained in you that you don’t ever have that singularly perfect idea and people disagree with you, (is) a comfortable thing. I do think that’s an added benefit for those of us who’ve been mission focused.”

What it means: National political pundit Chris Cillizza, writing in his So What news site on Substack, noted that Spanberger did more than just win an election, calling her 15-point victory over Republican challenger Winsome Earle Sears “stunning” in a swing state like Virginia. Her margin of victory was the largest in the modern era of Virginia governor’s races. Democrats dramatically increased their majority in the State Assembly and swept three other statewide races as well, leading Cillizza to write that it “raises serious questions whether the 2028 GOP nominee will even consider spending money in Virginia.”

What happens next: Spanberger, who is married with three daughters, ran on a platform of making Virginia more affordable, strengthening its school system, lowering health care and prescription drug costs and protecting reproductive freedom. Digital news and information site Democracy Docket said Spanberger’s win could “have major implications for voting rights,” as Democrats are likely to redraw congressional maps that could result in up to four new seats. Spanberger said her leadership will focus on solving problems and not stoking division. “Tonight, we turned a page by listening to our neighbors,” she said at her election night watch party, adding that she would represent all Virginians, even those who didn’t vote for her. “Leading with decency and determination.”