Virginia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger counts more billionaires, Washington, D.C.-based donors, and out-of-state residents among her financial supporters than Republican nominee Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, public records show.
Just 47% of donations to Spanberger’s gubernatorial campaign came from Virginia residents as of the end of September, according to public records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Earle-Sears, by contrast, pulled in 53% of her contributions from Virginian donors. Contributors located in D.C. donated nearly as much to Spanberger as those living in the commonwealth, where she is running for governor, with D.C.-based donors donating about $12.2 million to the Democratic hopeful, compared to $18.7 million from Virginians.
Spanberger has also received 15 donations worth over $50,000 from billionaires and their immediate family members, whereas Earle-Sears has only accepted nine such contributions. Among Spanberger’s billionaire donors were two members of the Murdoch family, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL), and billionaire heiress and equestrian Gwendolyn Meyer of California. Among the billionaires supporting Earle-Sears, meanwhile, were Black Entertainment Television co-founder Robert Johnson, brokerage mogul Thomas Peterffy, and retired insurance executive Pat Ryan.
Large unions such as the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, as well as environmental nonprofit groups like Natural Resources Defense Council and the League of Conservation Voters, cut six-figure checks to the Spanberger campaign.
Spanberger has also enjoyed considerable financial support from the business community, reeling in donations from industry groups such as the Sports Betting Alliance, the Virginia Credit Union League, and Chinese Communist Party auto executive Pin Ni.
Large gaps also exist between the industries of Spanberger and Earle-Sears’s respective donors. Spanberger, for instance, received $1.3 million from public employees, compared to the roughly $330,000 Earle-Sears brought in from them, public records compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project show. Individuals working in the financial and retail sectors also favored Spanberger, whereas workers in the real estate, construction, and energy industries tilted toward Earle-Sears.
With Election Day fast approaching on Nov. 4, and early voting already well underway, Spanberger is ahead by an average of 7.1 points at the time of writing among polls aggregated by RealClearPolitics, leaving many Republicans with low hopes for retaining the governor’s mansion. RealClearPolitics’s average of polls tracking the Virginia attorney general’s race, however, has Republican incumbent Jason Miyares 3.3 points ahead of Democratic challenger Jay Jones.
Miyares’s lead over Jones is likely attributable to the high-profile scandals that have broken concerning Jones, chiefly his text messages wishing death on Republican lawmakers and their children, and his conviction for speeding 116 miles per hour while getting off with community service, only to then allegedly flout the requirement by logging hours at his personal political action committee. Republicans have tried, and seemingly failed, to sink Spanberger by tying her to Jones, for whom she declined to revoke her endorsement after his scandals went public.
The Spanberger campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
