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Back in May, I spent a morning at a family-owned pharmacy in Hanover County — a locality that voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 by a margin of more than 25 points.
I was there alongside local pharmacists and students, a Hanover County mother whose daughter is battling cancer, and a crush of reporters to roll out my plan to lower Virginians’ healthcare and prescription drug costs as their next governor. The event caught the attention of some community members who greeted me donning red T-shirts, Make America Great Again hats and Trump campaign buttons.
Among the group was a local Tea Party member. After we briefly joked about our party allegiances, the conversation quickly turned to the issues.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger addresses a get-out-the-vote rally on the first day of early voting outside the Eastern Government Center on Sept. 19, 2025, in Henrico County, Virginia. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
His daughter, who had been battling cancer, had recently lost her healthcare benefits. As her pile of medical bills and worries grew, so had his frustration.
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What started as him leaving home on a rainy Wednesday morning to hold me accountable turned into a meaningful conversation about one of the challenges I hear about most from families, veterans, seniors and young people across our commonwealth — the rising cost of medical care.
But it’s not just high healthcare costs that are keeping Virginians up at night. Everywhere I travel across the commonwealth — since I first launched my campaign to serve as Virginia’s next governor, the No. 1 challenge Virginians share with me is the squeeze of high costs. Rising rent and mortgage payments, energy bills, and prices at the pharmacy counter are stretching Virginians’ paychecks thin. Virginians who are working hard to get by deserve a governor who is laser-focused on doing everything in her power to deliver them real relief.
Right now, as we race toward Election Day, I’m on the road for my 40-plus-stop, 11-day statewide bus tour. We’re going everywhere from “Where Virginia Begins” in Lee County up to Leesburg, from Norfolk to Nelson County to lay out the stakes in this year’s elections — because this year, Virginians have the opportunity to choose leadership that actually puts our commonwealth first.
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger speaks during an Everytown for Gun Safety rally on April 10, 2025, in Alexandria, Virginia. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Since that rainy morning in May, I’ve also rolled out my plans to lower Virginians’ housing costs and Virginians’ energy bills. I’ve rolled out my plans to grow workforce training opportunities — because a four-year degree isn’t the right path for everyone. And I’ve rolled out my plan to make sure Virginia’s public schools are the best in the nation. My opponent — Winsome Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor of Virginia — has not shown an inkling of interest in tackling these challenges. She’s laid out no real plans to make Virginia more affordable or grow our economy.
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Virginians — including the more than 300,000 federal employees who call our commonwealth home — are grappling with the consequences of the Trump administration’s DOGE firings, use of this devastating government shutdown to escalate those firings, and unpredictable tariffs. My opponent dismissed the devastating impacts of these cuts on Virginia’s economy and even mocked Virginians for worrying about losing their jobs. As Virginia’s next governor, I am clear-eyed about threats to our commonwealth — and I will always stand up for Virginians’ jobs and Virginia’s economy.
If you’re a registered voter in Virginia, my name is on your ballot this year. You may still be making your mind up about who to trust with your vote. You might even be reading this right now and thinking, “I’m a Republican, so why would I vote for a Democrat?”
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia Democratic Party nominee for governor, speaks at a campaign event in Richmond on April 8, 2025. (Max Posner/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
I won my first campaign in 2018 — in a district that hadn’t elected a Democrat in 50 years — in part because thousands of Virginians asked themselves that very question. And ultimately, those voters believed in electing a leader who would put the people of Virginia — not a political party, not a group of donors and not a president — first.
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Since I first got into politics, I’ve been focused on addressing some of the most pressing issues facing Virginia’s families and businesses — from protecting Virginians’ access to healthcare coverage to bringing down the cost of living to keeping our communities safe. My focus hasn’t changed — and I’m ready to get to work on day one to deliver for Virginians.
And like I always say: I might be a Democrat, but you don’t have to be one to vote for me. I would be honored to earn your vote and grateful to serve as your governor.
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