Spanberger support craters in new poll: ‘A bot for the Democratic Party’
A Washington Post-Schar School poll shows Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger facing a deeply divided electorate only two months into her term. The survey finds 47% of voters approve of her performance, 46% disapprove, and 7% are undecided. Spanberger, who won a decisive 15-point victory in 2025 and is described as the state’s first female governor, entered office with a nationally admired bipartisan image, but the early poll numbers suggest a sharp split in Virginia public opinion.
The figures reveal a polarized habitat: more than 80% of Democrats approve of Spanberger, while roughly 90% of republicans disapprove. Among independents, the race is nearly even, with 45% approving and 46% disapproving-marking a notable shift from the previous fall when independents leaned more toward Spanberger. Her overall approval lags behind ancient norms for Virginia governors at a comparable point in their tenures, and she trails her Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin, in net approval.
Support within Spanberger’s party remains strong, but the intensity gap is evident: a large share of Republicans strongly disapprove, while a smaller portion of Democrats strongly approves. The poll also notes a mixed record on policy: Spanberger has pursued economic concerns, including expanding healthcare access and boosting affordable housing, and has resisted tax hikes. Her moves on redistricting and immigration enforcement have drawn conservative criticism, and some observers, such as a fairfax County resident quoted in the piece, view her as increasingly aligned with the Democratic Party. The poll underlines enduring polarization as she begins her management.
Spanberger support craters in new poll: ‘A bot for the Democratic Party’
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is facing a divided electorate just two months into her term, according to a new Washington Post–Schar School poll, which shows 47% of voters approve of her performance, 46% disapprove, and 7% remain undecided.
Spanberger, the state’s first female governor, won by a decisive 15 points in 2025, leaning heavily on a bipartisan brand she cultivated over three terms in a toss-up congressional district. But her early standing as a Democratic governor suggests a sharply split response from Virginians, underscoring deep political divisions.
Gregory Roddy, a 69-year-old Fairfax County resident who describes himself as an independent with conservative leanings, told the Washington Post he never fully bought into Spanberger’s bipartisan pitch. After she took office, she “switched over,” he said.
“Now, she’s just a bot for the Democratic Party,” Roddy added.
Spanberger’s approval rating trails the historical norm for Virginia governors in Washington Post polling by 13 points, and her nearly even split between support and opposition leaves her with a weaker net approval than past governors at similar points in their tenures. It also puts her behind where Glenn Youngkin, her Republican predecessor, stood near the end of his term, when he posted a 50% approval rating against 46% disapproval, despite having entered office after a much tighter race.
“Some amount of polarization is baked in, but this is unusual at this early stage of her administration and given that she had long cultivated a centrist image,” said Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government, which co-sponsored the poll.
The good news for Spanberger is that she continues to hold overwhelming support within her own party, with more than 80% of Democrats approving of her performance. But she has made little headway with Republicans, who are close to 90% opposed. Notably, the intensity gap cuts against her: Among Republicans, 78% strongly disapprove, compared with 62% of Democrats who strongly approve.
Among independents, the electorate is almost evenly divided — 45% approve, and 46% disapprove. That marks a sharp shift from last fall, when exit polls showed she captured 59% of independent voters.
In office, Spanberger has largely followed through on campaign promises centered on economic concerns, including expanding access to healthcare and boosting affordable housing. She has also worked with Democratic lawmakers in the General Assembly to tamp down discussions of tax hikes.
FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR BLASTS SPANBERGER OVER REDISTRICTING DEBATE REFUSAL
But Rozell noted that her carefully cultivated centrist image has been tested by a series of decisions that have fueled criticism from the Right.
She has spoken out against Trump-era immigration enforcement efforts and moved to end controversial agreements between Virginia law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. She has also backed efforts to redraw the state’s congressional map in ways that could benefit Democrats in the November midterm elections.
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