Spanberger Stops Short Of Full Embrace Of Redistricting Effort In Virginia

Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger signaled tacit approval of a plan moving through Virginia’s legislature to redraw the state’s congressional lines, but she stopped short of offering an enthusiastic embrace like fellow Democratic governors.

“I won the first district and the second district in November. And, so, with or without any sort of redistricting, I have my eyes on those districts and I know we can win them this November,” Spanberger said. Both seats are held by Republicans, and Democrats are hoping to redistrict to give their candidates the edge in next year’s midterms. It’s part of a national arms race begun by President Donald Trump, who is pushing red states around the country to gerrymander in favor of the GOP.

“To be very clear: I want to flip seats in the House of Representatives, and I know that we can because we just — I just won those districts,” Spanberger added.

Spanberger, who won a resounding 15-point victory last month on a message of affordability, was addressing one of the most potent political issues in the state and nation Tuesday night during an interview at POLITICO’s “Transition of Power: What’s Next for Virginia” event in Richmond.

But, having defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Spanberger said she wants to focus on the issues that propelled her to the commonwealth’s top post.

“I campaigned on affordability. I campaigned on improving our schools. I campaigned on basic governance. And so that is where I will be spending every minute of my energy into the future,” Spanberger said.

She isn’t opposed to redistricting, saying there is “value” in “reserving the option to be able to respond” to the aggressive push underway in red states like Texas.

Efforts to redistrict blue states have become key for top state Democrats to match Trump’s power grab as the party remains locked out of leadership and influence across the federal government. And several potential 2028 presidential contenders, namely Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, used that fight to grow a national profile.

As of late October, state lawmakers in Virginia signaled an appetite to do just that in their commonwealth — a surprise late addition to national Democrats’ push to redraw congressional maps.

The party has even more power following November’s election, when Democrats won 64 seats in the House of Delegates, including 13 seats formerly held by Republicans, substantially increasing their margin in the body’s lower chamber. They will also maintain their majority in the state senate, whose members were not up for reelection this cycle.

Spanberger largely avoided wading too deeply into the redistricting debate, especially as Election Day neared. If the redistricting measure is to pass the state legislature, the final approval is left with voters via a referendum — not the governor’s signature.

Prior to legislative leaders’ moves to begin their redistricting efforts, Spanberger said she had “no plans” to redraw Virginia’s maps. But, just a few months later in an interview with the Associated Press aboard her campaign bus, she backed her fellow Democrats’ efforts to keep “alive the option of taking action into the future.”