Who is Abigail Spanberger? Ex-CIA officer becomes Virginia’s first woman governor

Democrat Abigail Spanberger etched her name in history by becoming the first woman to win the gubernatorial office of Virginia, defeating Republican rival Winsome Earle-Sears. Out of an estimated 95 per cent of the vote in Spanberger secured 57.4 per cent of the vote, compared to 42.4 per cent for Earle-Sears. Addressing the cheering supporters after polls were called in her favour, “We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, a message to our neighbours and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our commonwealth over chaos.”

Spenberger's victory also provides the much-needed respite to the Democratic Party by securing a first significant win for the party after a Devastating defeat in the 2024 United States presidential polls.

Journey from CIA case officer to Virginia Governor

Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, her family relocated to Virginia when she was a teenager and completed her schooling in Henrico County Area before moving to the University of Virginia to study Arts in French language and literature for her graduation.

Following completion of her MBA from Purdue University after graduation, she followed footsteps of her father and joined the United States Postal Inspection Service, investigating narcotics and federal enforcement matters.

In 2006, Spenberger joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as a "case officer" working on counter terrorism and other national security-related issues.

The 46-year-old forayed into politics by joining the House of Representatives after getting elected from Virginia's 7th Congressional district in 2019. She went on to serve in Congress for three terms before announcing her candidacy for Governor of Virginia in the 2025 election.

Spenberger made issues like lowering the cost of housing, energy and healthcare as her poll plank, which struck a chord with the working classes. Positioning herself as the antithesis of the chaos of cruelty, she chose issue-based politics as her path and refrained from participating in the rhetoric of the day, by very little mention of President Trump during her campaign.

However, Spenberger opposed the policies of the Trump administration on the ongoing crackdown on immigration. She called the immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Virginia a "distraction of resources".