Latest news with #AbigailSpanberger
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Republican nominee for Virginia governor names new campaign manager
Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is bringing on a new campaign manager as the GOP nominee for Virginia governor seeks to quell concerns about the direction of her campaign ahead of the high-profile off-year election this November. Pennsylvania-based political strategist Corey Barsky will take on the role, CNN has learned. A campaign spokesperson says Barsky will take over for Will Archer, who the campaign announced last week was moving into a different role. Barsky has already been serving as a senior adviser for the campaign. According to his LinkedIn page, he is currently a strategist at the political consulting firm ColdSpark and a 2021 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. The staffing shift comes as Earle-Sears, the state's lieutenant governor, trails her Democratic rival, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, in fundraising and public polling. Spanberger announced last week that her campaign raised $10.7 million in the second quarter, eclipsing the $5.9 million brought in by Earle-Sears. A recent poll by Virginia Commonwealth University found Earle-Sears trailing Spanberger by 12 points, 49% to 37%. Republicans have publicly criticized her fundraising and outreach to donors, including in a Politico magazine story published Wednesday. Core to Earle-Sears election argument is an emphasis on creating jobs and pursuing policies to benefit the working class. She's also leaning on the record of incumbent Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin though her campaign has also noted she cannot self-finance much of her campaign like Youngkin, who had a long business career before entering politics.
CNN
6 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Republican nominee for Virginia governor names new campaign manager
Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is bringing on a new campaign manager as the GOP nominee for Virginia governor seeks to quell concerns about the direction of her campaign ahead of the high-profile off-year election this November. Pennsylvania-based political strategist Corey Barsky will take on the role, CNN has learned. A campaign spokesperson says Barsky will take over for Will Archer, who the campaign announced last week was moving into a different role. Barsky has already been serving as a senior adviser for the campaign. According to his LinkedIn page, he is currently a strategist at the political consulting firm ColdSpark and a 2021 graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. The staffing shift comes as Earle-Sears, the state's lieutenant governor, trails her Democratic rival, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, in fundraising and public polling. Spanberger announced last week that her campaign raised $10.7 million in the second quarter, eclipsing the $5.9 million brought in by Earle-Sears. A recent poll by Virginia Commonwealth University found Earle-Sears trailing Spanberger by 12 points, 49% to 37%. Republicans have publicly criticized her fundraising and outreach to donors, including in a Politico magazine story published Wednesday. Core to Earle-Sears election argument is an emphasis on creating jobs and pursuing policies to benefit the working class. She's also leaning on the record of incumbent Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin though her campaign has also noted she cannot self-finance much of her campaign like Youngkin, who had a long business career before entering politics.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger unveils ‘Growing Virginia Plan'
(WFXR)- WFXR is your local election headquarters. And the candidates for governor are focusing on financial issues. Democrat Abigail Spanberger made a campaign stop in Suffolk on Tuesday. She announced what she called her new 'Growing Virginia Plan.' Spanberger said that her plan would grow Virginia's workforce, business investment, and trade opportunities. 'We need a leader who understands what brings new businesses to Virginia,' said Abigail Spanberger, democratic candidate for Governor. 'I will be focused on aligning education and workforce training initiatives. As Virginia's next governor, I will work aggressively to promote Virginia as the best state in the country to do business.'(w Spanberger's republican challenger Winsome Earle-Sears told WFXR that Spanberger spent six years as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, voting for bills that led to higher inflation and lost jobs. 'She was never in any of the rooms when the decisions were made on how we attract business,' said Winsome Earle-Sears, republican candidate for Governor. 'She was never in any of the rooms or being asked for advice on what do you think about talking with the legislature on how we can progress in Virginia. She was never there so she can't continue our polices.' The latest poll by Virginia Commonwealth University shows Spanberger leading the race over Earle-Sears, 49 percent to 37 percent among registered Virginia voters. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
'Don't fret' response to massive job losses in Virginia under Trump won't cut it for me
Print Close By Abigail Spanberger Published July 18, 2025 Virginians recently learned that our commonwealth has lost our spot as "America's Top State for Business." One major factor was singled out as leading to the downgrade — the widespread economic impact of DOGE's attacks on the jobs of thousands of Virginians. I've always supported responsible efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse — as well as corruption. In the U.S. House of Representatives, I even led the bipartisan push to ban members of Congress and their spouses from trading individual stocks. I believe that our leaders have a responsibility to restore trust in our government, make sure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently, and keep more money in people's pockets. But in the months since the Trump administration launched DOGE, I've been hearing from Virginians — across the political spectrum — who have lost their jobs or are worried their jobs will be targeted next. And I'm hearing from local business owners and contractors who are worried about their financial futures, as well as business leaders who are concerned about the long-term damage done to Virginia's economy; not just in northern Virginia, but in every corner of our commonwealth. We are home to more than 320,000 federal workers — not even including the private-sector workers who support federal contracts or the small business owners who are seeing Virginians cut back on family budgets. LOOK BEYOND THE BIG APPLE'S SOCIALIST VICTORY TO FIND DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADERS IN 2025 It isn't just federal workers who are taking a hit as a result of workforce cuts. A recent University of Virginia study projects that more than 32,000 Virginia jobs will be lost over the course of 2025 in large part because of DOGE. These include federal jobs, manufacturing jobs, food service jobs — real Virginians' jobs across many industries. The new "America's Top States for Business" rankings make one thing clear: the Trump administration's approach is not working for Virginia. This year, the results specifically cited the disproportionate impacts of the president's actions surrounding federal job cuts, but we haven't seen meaningful guidance from our statewide leaders for Virginians whose lives were upended. Earlier this year, our governor and lieutenant governor told Virginians who have lost their jobs to simply update their resumes and log on to LinkedIn. That isn't leadership. Virginia's lieutenant governor, who is also asking Virginians to let her serve as their next governor, has repeatedly laughed off Virginians' job losses. She offered these words of advice: "don't fret." I don't think Virginians in the throes of an unanticipated job search would call that leadership. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION I will never dismiss threats to Virginia's economy. This year's rankings make clear that Virginia's economy remains under threat, and we need a governor who has a plan to build a more resilient economy. Virginians deserve a governor who will put Virginia's economy first in the face of ongoing threats, no matter if it's a Democrat or a Republican in the White House. If elected to serve as Virginia's next governor, I will take action to make sure Virginia is the best place in the country to start or grow a business. I will focus on leveraging our commonwealth's strengths to attract new investment. Not only will we champion economic development in every corner of Virginia, including our rural communities, but we will focus on the strengths that keep businesses here — including our world-class community colleges and universities, our infrastructure, and our strong workforce. Whether we agree or disagree on every issue, I hope all Virginians can agree on the need to keep Virginia's economy competitive. Protecting Virginia's economy should be a bipartisan priority. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP I love Virginia, and that's why my husband and I are raising our three daughters here — in the place where we grew up. I want to protect the financial security and opportunities of everyone who calls our commonwealth home. That's why I've focused on lowering costs for all Virginians, not making life harder or creating chaos — and that's why I've already announced my Affordable Virginia Plan to lower health care, housing, and energy costs for Virginia families. If given the opportunity to serve Virginians as their next governor, I will put a plan in place on day one that is clear-eyed about the challenges ahead of us — not for political gain, but because that's what the people of Virginia deserve at this moment of uncertainty. Print Close URL
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Abigail Spanberger's Chances Against Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia—Polls
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger held a double-digit lead against Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in the latest poll of the Virginia gubernatorial race released on Wednesday. Political scientist Larry Sabato told Newsweek the poll "reinforces the widespread view that, for now at least, the Democrat is well ahead." Meanwhile, a Spanberger spokesperson told Newsweek it "echoes what Abigail has been hearing from families across the Commonwealth." Newsweek reached out to the Earle-Sears campaign for comment via email. Why It Matters Virginia's gubernatorial race in November is a key test for both political parties this year. Once a battleground, Virginia has shifted toward Democrats over the past 20 years, though Republicans have proved competitive in the state's off-year gubernatorial races. The election pits Spanberger, a centrist Democrat who previously represented Virginia, against Winsome-Sears, the state's lieutenant governor, who was elected in 2021. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who narrowly won four years earlier, is ineligible to run for reelection due to term limits. The race will be a crucial test for Democrats' messaging in the Trump 2.0 era—and a test of whether Republicans can maintain support from voters who shifted rightward in the 2024 election. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger speaks in Dumfries, Virginia, on October 25, 2022. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger speaks in Dumfries, Virginia, on October 25, To Know The new Virginia Commonwealth University poll gives Spanberger an advantage over Earle-Sears, with 48 percent of respondents saying they plan to vote for the Democratic candidate and only 36 percent backing the Republican. The poll also found Democrats leading in other statewide races. Democrat Ghazala Hashmi leads Republican John Reid in the race for lieutenant governor by nine points (45 percent to 36 percent), while Democrat Jay Jones leads Republican incumbent Jason Miyares by nine points in the attorney general race (46 percent to 37 percent). The poll surveyed 809 adults, 764 of whom are registered to vote, from June 19, 2025, to July 3, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.16 percentage points. Other polls have similarly shown Spanberger with a lead. A HarrisX poll of 1,000 likely voters from May 9 to May 13, 2025, showed Spanberger up four points (52 percent to 48 percent). A Roanoke College poll of 658 Virginians from May 12 to May 19, 2025, showed her up 22 points (48 percent to 26 percent). Sabato told Newsweek that Spanberger has led every public poll so far. "This survey just reinforces the widespread view that, for now at least, the Democrat is well ahead," he said. "Of course, voting doesn't start until the end of September, and most votes are cast in the last two weeks and on Election Day." A key dynamic of the race is Trump's "deep unpopularity in Virginia" versus Youngkin's "relative though not overwhelming popularity," Sabato said. Virginia, home to many federal workers, is a state that has been hit especially hard by Trump's cuts to the federal workforce. Last November, then-Vice President Kamala Harris carried the state by less than six points, down from former President Joe Biden's 10-point margin of victory in 2020. Historically, the party out of the White House performs well in the Virginia gubernatorial race. That was the case four years ago, when Youngkin defeated former Governor Terry McAuliffe by fewer than two percentage points. What People Are Saying A Spanberger campaign spokesperson told Newsweek: "This poll echoes what Abigail has been hearing from families across the Commonwealth — that the high cost of living continues to be top of mind for Virginians. During this moment of uncertainty, Virginians deserve a Governor who is laser-focused on making life more affordable. "That's why Abigail rolled out her Affordable Virginia Plan to lower costs for Virginia families across the board — including healthcare, energy, and housing costs. As the next Governor of Virginia, Abigail will work tirelessly to make sure every Virginian can afford to call the Commonwealth their home." Former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat, wrote in the polling report: "Virginia voters are not buying political spin. They want action on the issues that hit hardest: the rising costs of living, threats to women's rights and immigration policies. The shift from education to economic and personal freedoms shows an engaged electorate." Dr. Harry Wilson, interim director for Roanoke College's Institute for Policy and Opinion Research, wrote in a May poll write-up: "Six months in a gubernatorial election season is an eternity in politics, but one would prefer to be ahead by 17 points. More than a quarter of Virginians are undecided, and there is good news for both candidates. "Spanberger is obviously leading at this point, and she leads among independents, but a large number of Republicans are undecided, and they will most likely end up voting for Earle-Sears. The favorable rating for Earle-Sears, however, should be cause for concern." What Happens Next The Virginia gubernatorial election is on November 4, 2025. The Cook Political Report currently classifies the race as Lean Democrat, meaning it is "considered competitive races, but one party has an advantage."
