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Throughout two and a half centuries, Virginia has been led by 74 state executives, all of them men. On Tuesday, Abigail Spanberger shattered this longstanding tradition by winning the election as the first female governor in the commonwealth's annals.

Centered Around Economic Concerns and Targeted Opposition

The former US congresswoman and CIA operative succeeded with a campaign that highlighted everyday expenses and strategically challenged Trump-era measures rather than the person.

Beginnings and Education

Hailing from in the Garden State on 7 August 1979, she moved to a suburb of Richmond, Virginia at thirteen. Her father was an army veteran who later worked in law enforcement; her mother was a healthcare professional and community helper.

She attended the UVA, obtaining a degree in literary arts. After graduating, she had a short stint as a educator before turning to a life of service.

“I grew up understanding that I wanted to emulate my father and I did,” Spanberger told supporters at a event in Norfolk, Virginia last Saturday.

Public Service Career

At the Postal Service, she investigated involving drugs, child predators and money launderers. She served court mandates, often being the only woman on the arrest team. She then entered the Central Intelligence Agency and focused on national security, serving undercover and internationally.

Life Change

In 2014, she and her spouse, an technical professional, faced a decision. Living on the west coast, they were considering another overseas assignment. They pulled out a globe and inquired of their oldest child, then in kindergarten, where they should go. the commonwealth, she answered, because “family and friends lives in Virginia”.

Spanberger stated at her rally: “And so we opted to transition from a national duty, to state involvement because she was right. Those dear to us lives in Virginia.”

Congressional Run

Back in Virginia, she joined a grassroots group, which combats firearm incidents, and started a youth group. In 2017, she chose to campaign for the House, which people told her was a “impossible task” because no Democrat had secured the congressional seat in half a century.

“But I saw what Donald Trump was doing with his actions and how he was pitting neighbour against neighbour. And I noticed my representative repeatedly vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. And I knew I had to take action. So for the record: I succeeded.”

Bipartisan Reputation

In Washington, she rapidly became associated with the centrist group, a alliance of centrist and fiscally moderate Democrats. She focused on less visible matters: bringing internet access to the countryside, fighting drug trafficking and veterans’ services.

She built a reputation for collaborating with colleagues across the aisle and was frequently recognized as the most bipartisan member of the Virginia delegation. She was outspoken about political rhetoric that she believed alienated centrists, cautioning her party against partisan language that could be used against them in swing areas.

Political Alliance

Along with Representatives Elissa Slotkin and Mikie Sherrill, she was called a part of the “pragmatic group” in contrast to the progressive “squad” of AOC.

Run for Governor

In November 2023, she announced she would not seek re-election for a another term and would instead run for governor in the next election.

Her campaign highlighted themes of civic duty, advocacy for schools and public works and defense of governing systems. Her intelligence experience gave her authority on national security issues and she spoke of government work as a calling rather than a career.

Win Over Opponent

This enabled her to withstand rival candidate Winsome Earle-Sears’s attacks on cultural issues, including the assertion that Spanberger is an extremist on civil rights and transgender healthcare.

The governor-elect, who maintained that communities should determine whether transgender students can join competitive sports, cast her opponent as the contender more out of step with the center of the commonwealth's citizens.