Spanberger announces run for governor

By Audrey Carpenter

Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-7th) announced Monday she is running for the Virginia governor’s seat in 2025. She made the announcement in a video on a new website created for her campaign: https://abigailspanberger.com/

The three-term incumbent said she will not seek re-election in 2024 for her House seat. In 2018, Spanberger became the first Democrat since 1968, as well as the first woman, to be elected to represent Virginia’s 7th District which spans much of Central and Northern Virginia.

In the video titled “What Matters Most,” Spanberger, 44, highlighted the importance of lowering prescription drug prices, growing the middle class, and easing inflation. She also emphasized the importance of recruiting and retaining teachers and said schools and crime will be the two most important topics that she will be running on. She said she has proven consensus-building skills.

Spanberger previously served as a federal agent with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service
investigating money laundering and narcotics cases, and then worked as a CIA case officer.