Abigail Spanberger Wins Backing of Group That Endorsed Glenn Youngkin

Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the endorsement of a police organization that backed GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin in his 2021 run, as polls suggest Spanberger has carved out a polling lead over her Republican rival, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.

Newsweek reached out to the Spanberger and Earle-Sears campaigns for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Virginia voters will elect their next governor in November, as Youngkin cannot run again due to term limits.

The party outside of the White House has historically performed well in the off-year elections in the former battleground that has shifted toward Democrats over the past few decades.

But the race will be a key test for both parties. Democrats will be hoping to win back voters who shifted rightward and test their message ahead of the midterms. Republicans, meanwhile, will be aiming to hold onto those same voters, particularly Latino and Asian voters with whom President Donald Trump made inroads last year.

What to Know

Spanberger rolled out the endorsement of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association (PBA) on Wednesday, less than three months before Virginia voters cast their ballots in the race.

Joe Woloszyn, president of the Virginia PBA, wrote in a statement that he believes Spanberger “understands the responsibility of putting on the badge” as a former federal law enforcement.

“As a Member of Congress, she repeatedly voted to increase funding for local police departments and sheriff’s offices — and she was relentless in pushing her bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act across the finish line to secure the earned benefits of thousands of Virginia’s retired police officers,” he wrote.

In 2021, the organization backed Youngkin for governor and Earle-Sears in the lieutenant governor race. Both went on to narrowly win their elections against Democratic candidates in November—Youngkin by 2 points and Earle-Sears by 1.5 points.

At the time, Woloszyn wrote that Youngkin had an “in depth understanding of the complex issues currently facing law enforcement in the commonwealth. The endorsement came after the Democrats’ 2021 nominee, former Governor Terry McAuliffe, declined to meet with the group.

Virginia Governor Race: What Polls Show

The latest polls of the Virginia governor race show Spanberger with a lead.

A Virginia Commonwealth University poll released last month showed Spanberger leading by 12 points (49 percent to 37 percent). It surveyed 764 registered voters from June 19, 2025, to July 3, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.16 percentage points.

A HarrisX poll from earlier this year showed a closer race, showing her up four points (52 percent to 48 percent). It surveyed 1,000 likely voters from May 9 to May 13, 2025.

What People Are Saying

Woloszyn wrote in the statement: “Abigail has a deep, expert-level knowledge of the unique challenges facing Virginia’s law enforcement officers, and she is a leader who shares our goal of building trust across our communities and working towards a safer, stronger Commonwealth. The VAPBA Board of Directors is proud to publicly endorse Abigail Spanberger for Governor of Virginia.”

Spanberger wrote in a statement: “Virginians deserve a Governor who recognizes the tremendous sacrifice that comes with swearing an oath to protect and serve our neighbors. As Governor, I will always make sure our brave men and women in blue have the tools, resources, and training they need to do their jobs and keep us safe. I look forward to working directly with VAPBA and the communities they serve as Governor to have the backs of our fellow Virginians who go to work each day to put others first.”

Political scientist Larry Sabato wrote to X: “Interesting. I always look for endorsement flips. VA Police Benevolent Association–which backed all Rs in 2021– just endorsed Spanberger (D). They stuck with Rs for Lt Gov (Reid) and AG (Miyares). In ’21 the group backed Earle-Sears for Lt Gov.”

Journalist David Weigel wrote on X: “One of McAuliffe’s 2021 fumbles was skipping the VPBA meeting; he had trouble navigating the post-George Floyd landscape where police unions didn’t trust Dems, was annoyed that his record wasn’t enough.”