NORFOLK, Virginia — Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Virginia, is leaning on Democratic heavyweights and rising stars in her party in the final weeks of her battle to succeed the term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA).
On Saturday, Spanberger appeared at the Ted Constant Convocation Center with former President Barack Obama, perhaps the most popular Democrat alive, for a high-spirited and packed rally that energized voters ahead of Tuesday’s election.
Obama spent much of his 30-minute speech excoriating President Donald Trump‘s second administration, touting Spanberger, and encouraging Virginians to cast a ballot in the election. The speech was reminiscent of the Obama who ran two successful presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 on a hopeful, inclusive nation that elected him as the first black commander in chief.
“From the very start, there was another story born of this nation’s true revolutionary spirit, a story that says ‘We the people’ means what it says, that all of us are included. That we are not subjects, we are citizens defined not by race or religion or gender or sexual orientation, but by our commitment to common creed, and a willingness to accept not just the privileges, but the responsibilities that come with that citizenship,” he said.
Several voters who spoke to the Washington Examiner over the weekend claimed they “loved” Obama and thought his appearance would convince more Virginians to support Spanberger.
OBAMA TAKES AIM AT TRUMP IN VIRGINIA GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EVENT FOR SPANBERGER
“He’s got such a powerful, powerful voice, obviously, and his opinions carry a lot of influence,” said Lisa Harter, 64, of Alexandria. “Over his eight years of an amazing presidency, he’s just amassed so much respect that I think people who hear him say we should vote for Abigail would be very important.”
“He’s one of those gifted people that we listen to, and we need to listen to people who’ve shown us the way before,” said Nancy Manning, 65, of Springfield, about Obama.
But Spanberger isn’t only leaning on Obama. She has also appeared on the campaign trail with several possible 2028 presidential candidates, including Govs. Wes Moore (D-MD), Andy Beshear (D-KY), and Josh Shapiro (D-PA), as well as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“I’m very happy about that,” Harter, the Alexandria resident, said about the rising stars appearing in Virginia. “I’m very, very excited again that No. 1, Abigail, has that kind of allure that she’s able to bring on these really important democratic candidates, future candidates.”
“She matters, and they see what they want to see for our next leadership,” added Manning about the campaign reinforcements. “So they’re coming out and saying, this is who we should have for our leadership.”
Bill Nye the Science Guy joined Spanberger at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville last month, while Virginia’s two former Democratic governors and now-Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) are also jointly appearing at a Spanberger campaign event at the State Theatre in Falls Church.
Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’s final push for Virginia’s governorship has looked markedly subdued next to Spanberger’s high-wattage rallies. While the former Democratic congresswoman has drawn Obama and a lineup of Democratic officeholders to the trail, Earle-Sears’s events have been smaller, shorter, and powered mostly by lesser-known surrogates.
Earle-Sears was forced off the trail for several days in the final week when Democrats’ surprise redistricting session called her back to Richmond, cutting into valuable campaign time. Her schedule since then has reflected an aggressive but modestly scaled push, a string of get-out-the-vote stops from Fredericksburg to Harrisonburg, Staunton, Blacksburg, Abingdon, and Loudoun County, often held in smaller venues such as airport hangars, county fairgrounds, and college gyms.
While Earle-Sears was tied up in Richmond, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a rising conservative who made his name with the “Alligator Alcatraz” crackdown and legal fights against blue-state sanctuary policies, headlined a rally in New Baltimore. Later that week, television personality Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Sen. John McCain and Cindy McCain, took the stage in Fredericksburg to campaign on Earle-Sears’s behalf while the lieutenant governor remained at the state capital.
Youngkin has joined the Republican ticket at weekend events, but other marquee names have been scarce. However, Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters plans to speak at Earle-Sears’s final rally in Manassas on Monday evening. (Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin is also set to appear in Virginia on Monday to campaign for Spanberger.)
Trump, who stayed off the trail but lent limited support to Youngkin’s 2021 campaign, has similarly kept his distance this year. He has not yet endorsed Earle-Sears, but when asked recently about the contest, the president said only, “I think the Republican candidate is very good, and I think she should win because the Democrat candidate is a disaster.”
On Thursday night, Trump and Youngkin led a telerally for the GOP ticket that, according to a source familiar with the planning, closely mirrored the 2021 virtual event that helped propel Youngkin past Democrat Terry McAuliffe.
That limited engagement stands in sharp contrast to the administration’s full-court press earlier this year to promote its flagship tax and spending bill across key battleground states. Vice President JD Vance led a national tour highlighting provisions for working-class families, making stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Georgia. He was often joined by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler, among others, a show of coordinated outreach that underscored the political importance the administration has placed on selling its agenda to voters ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Longtime Virginia GOP strategist Brian Kirwin downplayed the lack of presidential attention, arguing that Trump’s focus has always been national and that Virginia’s off-year races simply don’t command the same spotlight as federal contests.
“The state elections, he’s about as involved as he wants to be,” Kirwin explained. “When it comes to federal races, he’ll tour the nation and hold rallies. But he’s never really done that for state campaigns, not for Youngkin four years ago or for Ed Gillespie in 2017. He’s always shown more interest in federal elections than state ones.”
EARLE-SEARS CAMPAIGNS IN LOUDOUN COUNTY AS REPUBLICANS PUSH TO RECLAIM VIRGINIA’S SWING SUBURBS
Turnout at Earle-Sears’s rallies has generally been modest. At a recent stop in Loudoun County, roughly a couple of hundred supporters filled Patrick Henry College’s gymnasium as a large shot clock ticked down each speaker’s allotted time. When speakers ran long, organizers faded in music to keep the program on schedule. Earle-Sears’s own stump speech lasted about 15 minutes, and the entire program wrapped in under an hour, a rhythm that has been consistent across much of her campaign.
George Hollis, 79, a voter who attended the Loudoun rally, said he was surprised by the smaller crowd. “I just wish this crowd was about three times bigger,” he said, looking around the gym before the lieutenant governor took the stage.
