Abigail Spanberger

Abigail Anne Spanberger ( SPAN-bur-gər; née Davis; born August 7, 1979) is an American politician and former intelligence officer serving since 2026 as the 75th governor of Virginia. A member of the Democratic Party, she served from 2019 to 2025 as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 7th congressional district. Spanberger was born in New Jersey and moved frequently during her childhood before her family settled in Virginia. She earned degrees from the University of Virginia and Purdue University. From 2006 to 2014, she was an officer in the Central Intelligence Agency. She was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, unseating incumbent Republican Dave Brat. She was reelected in 2020 and 2022 before leaving Congress to run for governor. Spanberger was elected governor of Virginia in 2025, defeating the Republican nominee, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. She is Virginia's first female governor. In her first months as governor, Spanberger signed an assault weapons ban, increased the state's minimum wage, vetoed a recreational cannabis retail market and collective bargaining legislation, and supported the 2026 Virginia redistricting referendum.