Democrat Abigail Spanberger has been projected as winning the race for Virginia governor. The former congresswoman and CIA officer defeated the state's Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, according to CBS News. With Abigail Spanberger's win, Virginia elected its first female governor, unseating Republicans. The race, seen as a national referendum, saw Spanberger focus on economic issues.

Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term congresswoman, campaigned alongside former President Barack Obama last weekend. "Tonight, we sent a message to the whole world," the Democrat told supporters at a victory party on Tuesday night. She declared that her state "chose pragmatism over partisanship and "our commonwealth over chaos." Spanberger added that her victory "can set an example for the rest of the nation".

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Abigail Spanberger calls out daughter in her speech

In her victory speech, the Virginia governor-elect told her three children, "I am lucky to be your mother and Catherine, you did not clean your room today, as you promised me.” The remarks drew laughter and Abigail Spanberger's daughter Catherine insisted that she was “working on” cleaning her room, reports The New York Post.

“I’m working on it!” Catherine piped back from behind the lectern. Her mother replied to laughter from supporters, “If I was working on it, we wouldn’t have won this election!” During the election campaign, Spanberger had highlighted the economic impact of Trump's cuts to the federal government, which have impacted Virginia's employment, and ran on a platform of increasing affordability.

The Virginia governor’s race gained national attention and was viewed as a test of public opinion on US President Donald Trump’s leadership. Trump had improved his performance in the state, increasing his vote share from 44 percent in 2020 to 46.1 percent in 2024. However, his new term has brought economic challenges for many Virginians.

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Virginia leaning towards Democrats

In recent years, Virginia has leaned toward Democrats, largely because of population growth in Washington, DC’s suburbs. Still, the party lost some ground last year as Trump made small but notable gains across the state.

Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger focused her campaign on the state’s economic problems, blaming them on Trump’s federal spending cuts that affected Virginia’s job market. She emphasized her plan to make living costs more affordable for residents. In the final weeks of the campaign, Spanberger appeared with leading Democrats, including former President Barack Obama, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears received support from outgoing GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin and frequently highlighted his economic record during her campaign. However, she did not get a formal endorsement from Trump. While Trump publicly endorsed Republican candidates in Virginia’s attorney general race and New Jersey’s governor’s race, he offered only limited support for Earle-Sears and did not mention her by name.

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Northern Virginia, which has many federal employees, has been hit hard by government workforce cuts and the recent shutdown. The situation added economic pressure to the region during the campaign.

Virginia was one of two states, along with New Jersey, where voters elected a new governor on Tuesday. Voters in New York City also chose a new mayor, while Californians approved a new congressional map expected to give Democrats up to five additional seats in next year’s midterm elections, according to the Associated Press.

(With agency inputs)