Abby Whitt
Contributing writer
Gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger spoke in Blacksburg last week for her campaign’s Span Virginia Bus Tour.
The bus tour lasted from June 21-28 with stops in Richmond, Petersburg, Brunswick, Wytheville, Roanoke, Lynchburg, Farmville, Charlottesville and more, and the Blacksburg stop also served as the opening of the Team Spanberger and Lily Franklin Blacksburg Office.
Following the Blacksburg event on June 23, Spanberger said she talked about the serious challenges facing Virginians.
“With chaos in Washington and growing threats to Virginia’s economy and Virginians’ rights, I’m hearing from Virginians across the political spectrum that we need leaders in Richmond who put our Commonwealth’s families, schools and economy first,” she said. “As the next Governor of Virginia, I am focused on making Virginia more affordable, making Virginia’s schools the best in the country, protecting the rights of every Virginian, and standing up for Virginia jobs and Virginia’s economy.”
Spanberger was raised in Virginia to have strong connections to the Commonwealth, her country and communities by her parents. Her father is a U.S. Army Veteran and served as a career law enforcement officer, and her mother worked as a nurse, taking on long shifts over nights and weekends.
She continued in their footsteps by becoming a federal law enforcement officer with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and working with the CIA as a Case Officer.
Spanberger’s campaign website states that while working at the CIA she also “worked undercover to understand the threats facing the United States, prevent terrorist attacks, counter the proliferation of nuclear weapons and track transnational criminal organizations.”
Now, she’s married to her husband, Adam, who also grew up in Henrico County; is the mother of three girls in Virginia Public Schools; and says she is an advocate for all things Virginia. She says she and Adam are blessed to be raising their family in the Commonwealth they hold so dear.
From 2019 until this year, she was elected in Virginia’s 7th District (which includes counties such as Prince William (partial), Stafford, Spotsylvania, Culpeper, Orange, Caroline, King George and more) in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she supported “no-nonsense bipartisan legislation,” according to the Washington Post.
“… I am focused on making Virginia more affordable, making Virginia’s schools the best in the country, protecting the rights of every Virginian, and standing up for Virginia jobs and Virginia’s economy,” she said.
The bottom line is that Spanberger is running for Governor because of her love of the state and its people, she said.
She said she heard from constituents both locally and across the state who are “working harder and harder, yet finding it more difficult to get by,” whether it be with their energy bills, medical costs or the housing market.
“As Governor, I will work with both parties — it doesn’t matter if you have a “D” or an “R” behind your name — to make sure every Virginian can afford to call our Commonwealth their home. That’s the leadership Virginia deserves from their next Governor,” Spanberger said.
Throughout the remainder of her campaign, Spanberger said she looks forward to continuing to hear from Montgomery County residents and other constituents because her vision for the future “will always be guided by the Virginians who live in our communities.”
“And come January, I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running on day one and getting to work on behalf of all Virginians,” Spanberger said.
Learn more about Spanberger’s campaign events, current endorsements and policies at www.abigailspanberger.com.
Election day for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, House of Delegates and local offices is set for Nov. 4. Learn more about elections, early voting and voting methods at www.elections.virginia.gov.
Photos courtesy of Team Spanberger
