This story was reported and written by our media partner the Virginia Mercury.
Abigail Spanberger took the oath of office on the steps of Virginia’s state Capitol six months ago Friday, becoming the state’s first woman elected governor after winning by the largest margin for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in more than six decades.
She entered office promising to lower costs through her Affordable Virginia agenda. But a new poll suggests many Virginians remain unconvinced, with inflation, housing costs and an unpredictable economic forecast still topping voters’ concerns.
Spanberger addressed those concerns Thursday during an interview with reporters in the cabinet room at the Patrick Henry Building in Richmond’s Capitol Square, defending her administration’s record to date while acknowledging that the impact of many of her biggest initiatives will take time to manifest.
The Virginia Commonwealth University survey, released Wednesday, found 44% of registered voters approved of Spanberger’s job performance, while 47% disapproved. Inflation and the cost of living ranked as voters’ biggest worries.
Spanberger said she was not surprised by the findings, noting that the polls before last year’s election also suggested a much closer race than her eventual 15-point victory. Polls can provide a snapshot in time, she said, but she did not need survey results to know affordability remained top of mind for Virginians.
“I did not need a poll to know that that would be what people would be talking about,” Spanberger said.
The governor also tied the poll results to the nation’s starkly divided political climate, accusing President Donald Trump and his administration of “constantly” picking fights as a political strategy. Spanberger said she has not spoken directly with Trump since taking office.
“I think, tragically, we do continue to live in times that are either polarized or where a narrative of polarization continues to be pushed,” she said, adding that the tension shapes how people view politics, elected officials and issues that concern them.
Affordability still tops the list
Spanberger emphasized that the laws passed during her first six months reflect her administration’s focus on affordability, although many of them will take time to reach families.
She pointed to a $35 cap on out-of-pocket insulin costs, expanded renter protections and other measures aimed at lowering healthcare, housing and energy costs.
“If you’re someone who relies on insulin, there’s going to be a huge impact on you right away,” Spanberger said. “If you’re someone who struggled to try and get your health care needs addressed, because you’ve got to go to pre-authorization after pre-authorization, you’ll feel it.”
She also pointed to a new law requiring landlords to give tenants 14 days’ notice before pursuing an eviction instead of five.
“If you’re someone who’s kind of always teetering on potential eviction, you’ll feel it real quick when you have just a little bit more breathing room to be able to kind of steady yourself and pay your rent,” Spanberger said.
Other priorities, including efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing, will take longer to produce results, she admitted.
Spanberger also cited the state budget approved last month, pointing to additional funding for public schools, child care and higher education, along with more than $5 billion in announced business investment and more than 3,000 new jobs since January.
She also noted Virginia climbed to third in CNBC’s annual ranking of America’s Top States for Business. The state fell to fourth place on the list last year.
The budget also created a new energy consumption tax on data centers that lawmakers project will generate about $600 million annually. The issue surfaced in this week’s VCU poll, with 81% of respondents saying they support additional fees on data centers to help offset demands on the electric grid.
Spanberger said the next step is making sure Virginians see how those policies affect their everyday lives.
“The priority needs to be on our administration and, frankly, the members of the General Assembly who passed all these bills to be connecting the dots,” she said.
Court fights over new laws continue
Spanberger also defended two new laws that remain tied up in court: Virginia’s ban on certain assault-style firearms and large-capacity magazines, and a law generally prohibiting law enforcement officers from concealing their identities while on duty.
She said constitutional questions were part of her review of every bill that reached her desk and noted she declined to sign some legislation because of those concerns.
The mask law applies to local, state and federal law enforcement officers, with exceptions for undercover assignments, health precautions and other circumstances. A federal judge blocked the law just hours before it was set to take effect, finding the U.S. Justice Department was likely to succeed in arguing Virginia cannot regulate federal officers that way.
Spanberger said officers who conceal their identities can erode public trust.
“This sort of theatrical policing, like we’ve seen in some other states with the use of masks or facial coverings, is an expectation that law enforcement in Virginia — local, state and federal — not pursue,” she said.
Spanberger said she expected the law to face legal challenges but remains convinced restrictions on assault-style firearms and magazine capacity will save lives.
“It’s unfortunate that they’re choosing to sue the commonwealth of Virginia,” she said. “But we will continue to defend it because ultimately the law is about saving lives.”
She added that while the state would rather not spend money defending its laws in court, litigation is part of the legislative process.
Redistricting remains in rearview
Asked about Democrats’ unsuccessful mid-decade redistricting effort, Spanberger said she does not view it as a mistake.
Virginia voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment in April that would have allowed the General Assembly to redraw the state’s congressional map before the November midterm elections.
The Supreme Court of Virginia later struck it down in a 4-3 ruling, finding lawmakers had failed to follow the constitutional amendment process. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, leaving the current congressional map in place.
Spanberger said the court’s decision should not be confused with a rejection by voters, noting that a majority backed the amendment. She also argued Democrats do not need new district lines to gain new seats this fall.
She pointed out that she carried the territory currently represented by Republican U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman and Jen Kiggans during last year’s statewide election. She also cited stronger Democratic performances in districts represented by U.S. Reps. John McGuire, R-Goochland, and Ben Cline, R-Botetourt.
“I believe we will win, but there’s been new challenges created for the candidates who have been working hard, who now have a primary coming up in August later than our typical June,” she said.
Virginia’s congressional primary was postponed until Aug. 4 ahead of the referendum. Spanberger said Democrats now need to focus on winning under the map that will actually be used this fall.
Asked which Republican-held seats Democrats could flip, she named the districts represented by Wittman, Kiggans, McGuire and Cline.
“The 9th is always more difficult,” she said of the district held by U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem.
Spanberger declined to say whether Democrats should pursue another redistricting effort before the 2028 election, saying the political landscape could look very different by then.
In the meantime, she said she hopes Democrats gain enough seats this fall to “be a check on a lawless presidency.”