Annnd She's Running AWAY! Abigail Spanberger Appears to BACKPEDAL on VA Redistricting (Dems Are PISSED)

Sam J. | 12:50 PM on April 09, 2026

Abigail Spanberger seems to have cooled a bit on the whole gerrymandering Virginia to give Hakeem Jeffries more power thing. Oh sure, she's still supporting their efforts (because it's what the party wants), but she's too busy governing to actually campaign for it.

And Democrats are none too happy with her for it.

Almost as if she has seen the internals and they're not good:

NEW: @GovernorVA tells me she supports a “yes” vote on Virginia’s redistricting referendum — but her priority right now is governing, not campaigning.

As early voting continues, she’s pushing back on Democrats who want a more visible public presence. https://t.co/MTSRG5Y2Ir
— Markus Schmidt (@MSchmidtRVA) April 8, 2026

From Virginia Mercury:

Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday pushed back against criticism from some fellow Democrats who say she has not done enough publicly to rally support for Virginia’s April 21 redistricting referendum. Spanberger argued that she has been clear in her support while prioritizing governing in the early months of her administration.
“I have made it very clear that I support a yes vote, and I think Virginians should vote ‘yes,’” she told reporters outside the Executive Mansion in Richmond. But, she added, “my priority and my responsibility is on governance.”

Right.

The governor’s balancing act comes as she faces mixed political headwinds. The Washington Post-Schar School poll also found her approval rating at 47%, with 46% disapproving and 7% undecided — a tightening margin that has drawn national attention.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, described the dip as “stunning” in early coverage of the poll, noting that such numbers could complicate her standing within the Democratic Party as national attention intensifies.
Spanberger brushed aside concerns about the polling, emphasizing her electoral mandate and ongoing work in office.
“If everybody hated me, why is everybody putting my face on their mailers for the referendum?” she said.