Abigail Spanberger

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Big Takeaways From Tuesday's Election
Big Takeaways
From Tuesday's
Election
THE RUNDOWN
Nov 5, 2025 6:42 AM CST

Big Takeaways From Tuesday's Election

Victories in key races signal shifting voter sentiment in favor of Democrats

(Newser) - Democrats scored sweeping victories across major states in Tuesday's elections, signaling a sharp backlash to President Trump's policies and offering their party new momentum ahead of the 2026 midterms. Voters turned out in "extraordinary" numbers for an off-year contest, per the New York Times , delivering wins for...

Virginia Gets First Female Governor: Abigail Spanberger

Former congresswoman defeats Winsome Earle-Sears

(Newser) - The first big race on Tuesday's ballot has been called: Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the governor's race in Virginia and will become the first woman to hold the seat, reports the AP . The former congresswoman defeated Winsome Earle-Sears, the current GOP lieutenant governor, with the AP calling the...

4 Key Races to Watch in Tuesday's Vote

Including the gubernatorial contests in New Jersey and Virginia

(Newser) - Another Election Day has arrived in America, the first major one in President Trump's second term. Some of the big races that readers of political tea leaves will be watching:
  • New York City mayor: Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, the front-runner, is trying to fend off former Gov. Andrew Cuomo,
...

Trump Endorses Dozens, but a Key Name Is Absent

Virginia's GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears isn't mentioned

(Newser) - President Trump issued a flurry of endorsements on Sunday night for more than 50 Republicans ahead of Tuesday's elections, but Politico spots a notable absence: Trump didn't mention Virginia's GOP gubernatorial candidate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. She is trailing in the polls against Democrat Abigail Spanberger in...

Obama Doesn't Quite Endorse in Call to Mamdani

Former president offers counsel in New York mayoral race

(Newser) - Barack Obama quietly reached out to Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, offering a rare gesture of support days before New York's mayoral election. The former president's 30-minute phone call, described by people familiar with the conversation, was not an endorsement, the New York Times reports, but Obama praised Mamdani'...

Va. Governor Candidate's Bus Bursts Into Flames

No injuries in incident days before Virginia election between Earle-Sears, rival Spanberger

(Newser) - Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign for governor hit an unexpected snag on Thursday when her bus caught fire en route to an event. "Everyone is safe," Earle-Sears assured in a statement on X , thanking first responders for their swift reaction, per the Hill . The incident occurred just...

In 2 High-Stakes Governor Races, Obama Hits the Trail

Former president will campaign with Spanberger in Virginia and Sherrill in New Jersey

(Newser) - Former President Obama will campaign alongside Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill in the final stretch of their statewide campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Spanberger's and Sherrill's campaigns said in Tuesday news releases that Obama will campaign with both candidates at Nov. 1 rallies...

Will DOGE Help Democrats? Virginia Is an Early Test

State has a ton of federal workers, along with an off-year election

(Newser) - Virginia elects a governor later this year, and the off-year election is already getting attention because it's seen as a bellwether of President Trump's cost-cutting ways. As the Christian Science Monitor reports, the politics aren't that complicated: The state has a ton of federal workers—more than...

The Race to Replace Youngkin Gets Going

Democrat Spanberger won't run for House reelection, will try to win Virginia governor race in 2025

(Newser) - Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger won a close reelection race in Virginia last year that was widely seen as a bellwether contest with national implications. The 44-year-old, however, won't try to win a fourth term next year—on Monday, the former CIA officer announced in a video that she will...

2 Bellwether House Races Go Opposite Ways
2 Bellwether House Races
Go Opposite Ways
election 2022
Nov 8, 2022 10:30 PM CST

2 Bellwether House Races Go Opposite Ways

Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger wins, but Elaine Luria, on the Jan. 6 panel, loses

(Newser) - In two big House races seen as bellwethers for how the midterms may play out, the results are split. Both are out of Virginia. Democrats scored a significant win with the victory of Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who won a close race over Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega per the...

Congressional Candidate's Abortion Remarks Under Fire
Congressional Candidate's
Abortion Remarks Under Fire
the rundown
Jun 28, 2022 7:56 AM CDT

Congressional Candidate's Abortion Remarks Under Fire

Virginia Republican Yesli Vega suggests pregnancy isn't as likely after rape

(Newser) - It hasn't taken long for the question of abortion to surface as a point of controversy in at least one congressional race. Axios has produced audio of Republican candidate Yesli Vega in Virginia suggesting it's plausible that pregnancy isn't as likely after rape. Vega faces Democratic incumbent...

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