Abigail Spanberger

A champion for Virginia working families

Rep. Abigail Spanberger is an experienced leader and a deeply committed public servant who ran for reelection to Congress to expand economic opportunity for Virginia working families. She grew up in Henrico County, Virginia, and is a proud graduate of the University of Virginia. After earning her MBA, Rep. Spanberger began her public service career as a federal law enforcement officer working narcotics and money laundering cases with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. From there, she joined the CIA as an operations officer in 2006. Focused on counterterrorism, she recruited and developed spies and provided the critical intelligence that policymakers needed to make national security decisions to keep our country safe. She went on to work in the private sector as a strategic leader helping colleges and universities diversify their student bodies, increase graduation rates, and expand students’ access to affordable educational opportunities. She decided to run for Congress after listening to a friend, the father of a child with a genetic disorder, share his fears over the repeal of the Affordable Care Act — fears that included not only bankruptcy over medical bills but also losing access to the life-saving care his child needed. “I realized that any fear or apprehension I had related to publicly campaigning, or putting myself out there…that was absolutely nothing compared to the fear that my friends feel when they think about what the future holds for their daughter,” she has said. Rep. Spanberger and her husband live with their three daughters in Glen Allen.

A fighter working to expand economic opportunity

Rep. Spanberger has worked tirelessly to help pass a COVID-19 relief package that directly benefits central Virginia families, health care providers, schools, and businesses. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rep. Spanberger has worked to bring immediate solutions to students, parents, Main Street businesses, and schools struggling to access high-speed internet during the pandemic. “The COVID-19 crisis shed additional light on the clear need for reliable high-speed internet access,” she has said. “A lack of broadband connectivity impacts the ability of students to complete assignments at home, businesses to recruit and hire new employees, and farmers to take advantage of the latest ag technologies. Since my first year in Congress, I’ve been proud to serve as a member of the Rural Broadband Task Force to make sure that Congress responds to the concerns of rural communities and recognizes the need for major broadband investment in any nationwide infrastructure package.” Rep. Spanberger has said that “we are making progress, but we need to keep our foot on the gas.” That’s why we need her perspective and leadership in Congress now more than ever.

Victory in a must-win reelection fight

Rep. Spanberger flipped this seat blue in 2018, and she successfully defended it in 2020 and again in 2022. With so much of our progress at stake, we showed Rep. Spanberger the full support of the EMILY’s List community and helped keep this champion for Virginia working families in the House.