Abigail Spanberger is the Governor of Virginia. She assumed office on January 17, 2026. Her current term ends on January 12, 2030. On November 4, 2025, Spanberger was the first woman elected governor of Virginia. She defeated Winsome Earle-Sears 56.7%-43.2%. Spanberger campaigned on cost-of-living issues, federal layoffs, education, and public safety. The election was the first time in state history that the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor were both women. Spanberger was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, in 1979. She received a bachelor's degree in French literature from the University of Virginia in 2001 and an M.B.A. from a dual-degree program between Purdue University and GISMA Business School in Germany in 2002. Spanberger's career experience included working as a teacher, as a postal inspector at the United States Postal Service, and as a case officer at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Following her departure from the CIA in 2014, Spanberger worked in the private sector at an education firm. Spanberger was elected to Virginia's 7th Congressional District in 2018, defeating incumbent David Brat 50.3%-48.4%. Before the election, Republicans had represented the district since 1971. Spanberger cited Brat's vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act as her motivation to run and made affordable healthcare central to her campaign.
