{"id":2505581,"date":"2025-11-01T17:32:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-01T21:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/obama-rallies-black-voters-in-virginia-with-abigail-spanberger\/"},"modified":"2025-11-01T17:34:22","modified_gmt":"2025-11-01T21:34:22","slug":"obama-rallies-black-voters-in-virginia-with-abigail-spanberger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/obama-rallies-black-voters-in-virginia-with-abigail-spanberger\/","title":{"rendered":"Obama rallies black voters in Virginia with Abigail Spanberger"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fobama-rallies-black-voters-in-virginia-with-abigail-spanberger%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2505581&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses how the democratic Party in Virginia is relying on former President Barack Obama to energize African American voters ahead of the gubernatorial election. obama held a rally in Norfolk, targeting black voters, a key demographic that could influence the outcome. He criticized Republican policies and President Trump&#8217;s stance on issues like diversity, equity, and inclusion. While Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, who could become the nation&#8217;s first African American female governor, appeals to some voters, she has struggled to gain strong support from black communities, largely due to disagreements over her policies. The region of Hampton Roads, with a meaningful black population, is seen as crucial for Democrats&#8217; chances of winning statewide. Democrats emphasize economic issues, education, and abortion rights-topics that resonate with black voters. mobilizing African American voters in Virginia is seen as vital to the Democratic campaign&#8217;s success in reclaiming the governorship.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Democrats lean on Obama to galvanize black voters in Virginia<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2387247\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>NORFOLK, Virginia &mdash;<\/strong> Three days before <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/virginia\/\">Virginia<\/a> voters elect a new governor, thousands of excited people, many of them African American, lined up in droves to hear former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/barack-obama\/\">Barack Obama<\/a> rally for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democratic\/\">Democratic<\/a> gubernatorial candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/abigail-spanberger\/\">Abigail Spanberger<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Much of Obama&rsquo;s speech was targeted to black voters, a crucial constituency for Democrats that will help decide if Spanberger ascends to the governor&rsquo;s mansion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3869245\/obama-aims-at-trump-virginia-spanberger-event\/\">Obama takes aim at Trump in Virginia get-out-the-vote event for Spanberger<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3871735\/jersey-citys-democrat-mayor-sounds-alarm-about-upset-in-garden-state-governor-election\/\">Jersey City&#8217;s Democrat mayor sounds alarm about &#8216;upset&#8217; in Garden State governor election<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3871653\/mikie-sherrill-food-donations-obama-rally-snap-benefits-freeze\/\">Mikie Sherrill collects food donations at Obama rally amid SNAP benefits freeze<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The point is there is absolutely no evidence Republican policies made life better for you, the people of Virginia,&rdquo;&nbsp;Obama said on Saturday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. &ldquo;They&rsquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >ve devoted enormous energy<\/a> in trying to entrench themselves in power and punishing their enemies, and enriching their friends and silencing their critics.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;They put on a big show of deporting people and targeting transgender folks; they never miss a chance to scapegoat minorities and DEI for every problem under the sun,&rdquo; he continued about President Donald Trump&rsquo;s opposition to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. &ldquo;You got a flat tire, DEI.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3866032\/virginia-election-key-issues-what-to-know\/\">WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUES DOMINATING THE VIRGINIA ELECTION<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Obama remains one of the party&rsquo;s most influential figures with black voters nationwide, and Democrats are hoping his appearance will energize what has historically been a key voting bloc in off-year elections, when turnout is typically lower.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But the race is complicated by the fact that Virginia Republican Lt. Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/winsome-earle-sears\/\">Winsome Earle-Sears<\/a> is running to become the commonwealth&rsquo;s first female governor, and if victorious, she would also become the nation&rsquo;s first African American female governor. However, she has struggled to gain support from black voters.<\/p>\n<p>Enthusiasm for Obama was clear in Norfolk, where black voters said they were eager to see him as they waited for Spanberger&rsquo;s rally.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Virginia voters seek new &lsquo;leadership&rsquo; in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SpanbergerForVA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SpanbergerForVA<\/a> with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BarackObama?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BarackObama<\/a> support at Norfolk rally. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ndfSAs5Y80\">https:\/\/t.co\/ndfSAs5Y80<\/a> <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cA6mnSHIwU\">pic.twitter.com\/cA6mnSHIwU<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/dcexaminer\/status\/1984663099090071651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 1, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;With all the things that are going on, all the harshness and all the talking, I think hearing Obama&rsquo;s voice is just going to bring joy to a lot of people,&rdquo; Virginia voter Gwendolyn Wilson, 63 of Franklin, Virginia, told the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Lamont Bagby said the message of unity was resonating with voters even before Obama took the stage. &ldquo;That word &lsquo;we,&rsquo; yes we can,&rdquo; he said &mdash; a deliberate nod to Obama&rsquo;s signature campaign slogan that helped fire up the crowd.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But black voters waiting to hear Obama were adamant their dislike for Earle-Sears was predicated on policy &mdash; not her race.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She acts the same way as Donald Trump,&rdquo; said Lloyd Williams, 54, who lives in Norfolk. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t agree with her policies either. I looked at her debate when she was here at Norfolk State, and I think that was the worst catastrophe I&rsquo;ve seen in a person &hellip; of color in my life. So that&rsquo;s why I definitely didn&rsquo;t vote for her.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>That same sentiment was also echoed by first-time Gen Z voter Rachel Liddie from Virginia Beach.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not sure if it is about race too much, but, you know, I feel like it is good to see, like your people in office, but it&rsquo;s also based on, their ideas and their moral beliefs and everything. So that&rsquo;s why this time around, I&rsquo;m not voting for Earle-[Sears],&rdquo; Liddie told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/3423121\/abigail-spanberger-democratic-candidate-virginia-governor\/\">WHO IS ABIGAIL SPANBERGER? MEET THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR VIRGINIA GOVERNOR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With three days to go before Election Day many prominent African American groups have not endorsed or welcomed Earle-Sears. Although, billionaire and BET co-founder Robert L. Johnson did donate $500,000 to Earle-Sears&rsquo;s gubernatorial campaign after she was targeted with a racist sign at an Arlington County school board meeting.<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Hampton Roads &mdash; which includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Hampton &mdash; is home to one of the largest concentrations of black voters in the commonwealth. In Norfolk, black residents make up roughly 42% of the population, according to the U.S. census. The surrounding cities also carry some of the highest black voting shares in Virginia, making the region central to any Democrat hoping to win statewide.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia borders the nation&rsquo;s capital, an area with one of the largest populations of federal employees and contractors affected by the government shutdown, an issue that was mentioned by many voters. It also is home to three of the nation&rsquo;s five wealthiest counties, the world&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/secstate-blinken-on-bidens-climate-agenda-americans-that-relied-on-old-industries-will-be-hit-hard\/\" title=\"SecState Blinken On Biden\u2019s Climate Agenda: Americans \u2018That Relied On Old Industries Will Be Hit Hard\u2019\">largest naval base<\/a>, a strong Bible Belt presence, and a black population of about 20%.<\/p>\n<p>Recent elections show why the stop matters in galvanizing black voters:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In 2020, former President Joe Biden won Norfolk with more than 70% of the vote, heavily driven by strong support in majority-black precincts.<\/li>\n<li>In the 2021 gubernatorial race, Democratic turnout dipped in Hampton Roads, contributing to Gov. Glenn Youngkin&rsquo;s (R-VA) narrow statewide win.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Virginia Democrats regained ground in 2023, winning back the state Senate and flipping the House of Delegates &mdash; again relying on Hampton Roads&rsquo; urban core to carry margins.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/politics\/3479592\/winsome-earle-sears-interview-virginia-governor-race\/\">SUCCEEDING YOUNGKIN: WINSOME EARLE-SEARS TRIES TO RECREATE THE GOP SURGE IN VIRGINIA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Spanberger&rsquo;s campaign has increasingly emphasized economic issues, education funding, and protecting abortion access &mdash; topics Democratic strategists say consistently rank as top concerns among black voters in the region based on public polling from the Wason Center for Civic Leadership and national surveys from Pew Research Center.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Yet for Democrats, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-cut-into-democratic-leads-in-pennsylvania-with-big-registration-numbers-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Republicans cut into Democratic leads in Pennsylvania with big registration numbers ... Washington Examiner\">mobilizing black voters<\/a> in Hampton Roads could be the difference between winning and losing statewide.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Black residents also said the race represents both a test of policy priorities and the enduring power of their vote. However, many voters said they were worried about the economic impact of Trump&rsquo;s policies on Virginia.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I mean, he&rsquo;s been in there, changing stuff, making the ballroom and stuff like that. I mean, we have problems here in the United States, and they send the money into foreign countries and stuff like that, instead of taking care of home,&rdquo; Williams said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats rely on Obama to energize Black voters in Virginia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4095,"featured_media":2505582,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25305730288400.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[52927,32174,5315,4433,5468],"class_list":["post-2505581","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-abigail-spanberger","tag-black-voters","tag-obama","tag-rally","tag-virginia"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25305730288400.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2505581","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4095"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2505581"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2505581\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2505585,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2505581\/revisions\/2505585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2505582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2505581"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2505581"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2505581"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}