Abigail Spanberger: The Radical Behind the Moderate Mask
By George Landrith
Abigail Spanberger wants Virginians to believe she’s a centrist Democrat — reasonable, pragmatic, and focused on “kitchen table” issues. But her record tells a different story. Beneath her carefully crafted image lies a politician whose voting history and public statements reveal a deeply leftist agenda that aligns more with California’s Gavin Newsom and political leftists like AOC than with the values of everyday Virginians.
Let’s start with immigration. Spanberger has consistently opposed legislation aimed at protecting communities from violent criminals who are also in the country illegally. In 2024, she voted against the Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act, a bill that would have mandated the removal of illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes against law enforcement. She also opposed the No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities Act, which would have blocked federal funds from going to jurisdictions that shield illegal immigrants from deportation.
Abigail Spanberger voted against the Laken Riley Act in 2024, which would have required the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants who have been arrested for serious and violent crimes. By voting against this legislation, Spanberger sided with the minority of Democrats who opposed a commonsense public safety measure designed to prevent repeat offenses by criminal non-citizens. Laken Riley was raped and murdered by an illegal alien who had a long criminal record. So her vote suggests a prioritization of ideological immigration policies over the safety of Virginia communities, and it raises serious questions about her commitment to law enforcement and crime prevention.
More recently, she pledged to revoke Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order that facilitates cooperation between Virginia law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. In her own words, she wants to make Virginia a sanctuary state — a move that would protect violent felons from deportation, undermine public safety, and put Virginians at risk.
On education and parental rights, Spanberger’s record is equally troubling. She voted for the Equality Act, which mandates that individuals must be allowed access to bathrooms and locker rooms based on gender identity — not biological sex. That means girls in Virginia schools could be forced to share intimate spaces with biological males. She also opposed the Parents Bill of Rights Act, which would have required schools to obtain parental consent before changing a child’s name or pronouns. In other words, she supports policies that allow schools to promote transgender ideology in secret, without parental involvement.
Spanberger’s rhetoric is just as extreme as her votes. In a June campaign event, she told supporters to “let your rage fuel you”— a phrase she’s repeated multiple times on the trail. While she claims this is about motivating volunteers, the timing and tone of her remarks have drawn criticism, especially in light of recent political violence. Her refusal to call on fellow Democrat Jay Jones to drop out of the Attorney General race after he fantasized about murdering political opponents and their young children is even more disturbing. Spanberger said she didn’t approve of Jones’s comments, but stopped short of asking him to withdraw and defended him as a good man to be Virginia’s top law enforcement official, even after bipartisan condemnation.
Her energy policy is another red flag. Spanberger has embraced a plan that would phase out oil and gas in Virginia, favoring weatherization programs, demand-side management, and renewable energy subsidies. Her proposal includes remote-controlled thermostats and peak-hour surcharges, which critics say could leave Virginians sweating through summer heatwaves while bureaucrats decide who gets air conditioning. She’s also backed legislation to block offshore drilling and expand federal control over energy production. These policies mirror California’s energy failures — rolling blackouts, skyrocketing costs, and unreliable grids.
Spanberger’s voting record earned her a 5% rating from Heritage Action, a conservative watchdog group that tracks congressional votes. That’s not the score of a moderate — it’s the score of someone who consistently votes in lockstep with the far-left wing of her party.
Despite her claims of moderation, Spanberger’s legislative behavior places her among the most progressive members of Congress. According to GovTrack’s ideology analysis, she ranks in the 96th percentile among House Democrats for political liberalism, and her Heritage Action score is just 5%, indicating near-total alignment with the leftmost agenda. She has supported expansive federal spending, opposed border security measures, and backed progressive education policies that sideline parental rights.
Most strikingly, Spanberger voted against a bipartisan resolution condemning political violence and honoring Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated during a public event. This vote, along with her refusal to renounce endorsements from officials who celebrated Kirk’s death, underscores her radical posture and her obvious disconnect from mainstream Virginia values. And don’t forget that she tell her supporters to “let your rage fuel you.”
Despite all this, Spanberger continues to market herself as a bipartisan problem-solver. She touts her CIA background and her suburban upbringing, hoping voters will overlook her radical positions. But Virginians deserve honesty. They deserve a governor who respects parental rights, prioritizes public safety, and supports affordable, reliable energy — not someone who wants to turn the Commonwealth into a carbon copy of California.
Spanberger’s campaign is a masterclass in political branding. But branding isn’t governance. Her record is clear: she’s not a moderate. She’s an extremist leftist ideologue who’s trying to sell Virginians a product they didn’t ask for.
As the gubernatorial race heats up, voters should look past the slogans and examine the facts. Abigail Spanberger may talk like a centrist, but she votes like an extremist. And if elected, she’ll bring that extremism to Richmond to the ruin of Virginia. She’s an extremist leftist ideologue trying to sell Virginians a product they didn’t ask for. As the gubernatorial race heats up, voters should look beyond slogans and focus on the facts. Abigail Spanberger may sound like a centrist, but she votes like an extremist. If elected, she’ll bring that extremism to Richmond.
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George Landrith is the President of the Frontiers of Freedom Institute and the author of “Let Freedom Ring… Again: Can Self-Evident Truths Save America from Further Decline?”
