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Virginia Is for Vengeance

Critics complain that Abigail Spanberger’s first moves as governor of Virginia contradict her centrist campaign message. Her supporters contend she’s merely fighting fire with fire. Now, as the commonwealth heads toward redistricting, the question is: How far will she go?

Abigail Spanberger
In some ways, it’s precisely the governor’s centrist reputation that makes her an ideal foil for Republicans facing a tough midterm season. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Abby Livingston
January 26, 2026

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On January 16, just one day before taking office, Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger demanded the resignations of five University of Virginia board members appointed by her Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin. At the same moment, the state’s new attorney general, Democrat Jay Jones, forced out the legal counsels at George Mason University and the Virginia Military Institute. It was a stunning opening salvo for Spanberger, who campaigned as a classic mid-Atlantic moderate—a level-headed, technocratic counterweight to Donald Trump. And yet, in her first week in office, Spanberger was seemingly governing like… a Democratic Donald Trump.