By Princess Harrell

In a historic shift, Virginia’s largest police organization has unanimously endorsed Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger in the 2025 governor’s race. This marks the first time in more than a decade that the group has backed a Democrat for the state’s top office.

The Virginia Police Benevolent Association (VAPBA), which represents nearly 11,000 law enforcement officers, had previously endorsed Republican Glenn Youngkin in 2021. The last Democrat it supported for governor was Creigh Deeds in 2009.

The VAPBA announced its support on Aug. 13. The group is non-profit and non-partisan and cited Spanberger’s bipartisan record during her three terms in Congress, her professional law enforcement background, and her consistent votes to increase funding for local police departments and sheriff’s offices.

VAPBA Field Representative, Richard Goszka, tells 7News that it interview all the candidates for statewide office in Virginia and made their determination based on the answers the candidates provided. Goszka says this endorsement was based on policy alone.

“It was unanimous. Abigail Spanberger has a whole lot more policy and experience when she answered the questions versus her counterpart,” said Goszka. “The content of those questions were about policies such as duplicity in law enforcement, which is taking resources away, from pay and retirement and health benefits, to accountability of leadership in police agencies to qualified immunity; which she promised not to repeal,” said Goszka.

“Abigail Spanberger understands the responsibility of putting on the badge,” said Joe Woloszyn, president of the VAPBA. “Abigail has a deep, expert-level knowledge of the unique challenges facing Virginia’s law enforcement officers, and she is a leader who shares our goal of building trust across our communities.”

The decision drew attention in part because the VAPBA endorsed Spanberger’s opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, in her 2021 bid for lieutenant governor. Earle-Sears, a Marine, touts 58 individual sheriff endorsements across Virginia on her campaign website.

In a joint Republican rally, Earle-Sears made claims that Spanberger is anti-police.

“She wants to defund the police and get rid of qualified immunity,” said Earle-Sears to a packed room in a Vienna firehouse.

Earle-Sears has waged an aggressive “back the blue” messaging campaign. One day before the VAPBA announced its endorsement, Earle-Sears tweeted: “Carjackers. Burglars. Robbers. Abigail Spanberger voted to protect D.C.’s law that goes soft on all of them. Virginia doesn’t need a governor who fights for criminals—we need a governor who fights for us.”

Larry Sabato, founder and director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, said the VAPBA endorsement undercuts those attacks.

“What matters for Abigail Spanberger is it makes it more difficult for Winsome Earle-Sears to say she’s anti-law and order, or she doesn’t support police organizations or the police generally,” said Sabato.

In a statement, Spanberger tells 7News:

“I’m honored to earn the Virginia Police Benevolent Association’s endorsement — on behalf of their nearly 11,000 member law enforcement officers — to serve as the next Governor of Virginia. As a former federal law enforcement officer, I recognize the tremendous sacrifice that comes with swearing an oath to protect and serve our neighbors. As Governor, I will always make sure our brave men and women in blue have the tools, resources, and training they need to do their jobs and keep us safe.”

Spanberger, a former U.S. Postal Inspector and CIA case officer, has positioned herself as a law-and-order Democrat. She voted for justice-in-policing reforms while opposing defunding measures and supporting qualified immunity protections while in Congress. She also played a leading role in passing the Social Security Fairness Act, which restored retirement benefits for thousands of officers nationwide.

Goszka told 7News, “Right now in Virginia, we’re losing a lot of police officers. We’re having a hard time competing with surrounding states. I think they’re down over 300 troopers and they’re trying to bring people into the academy, and other states are not having these issues where they pay well and they have better retirements and better health benefits.”

Earlier this month, the Fraternal Order of Police recognized Spanberger with its inaugural “Armstrong Award” at its 67th National Conference in Miami Beach.

In a statement to 7News Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police said:

“During the 67th Biennial National Conference in Miami Beach, Florida, National President Patrick Yoes awarded the inaugural Joseph G. Armstrong award to former Representatives Garret N. Graves (R-LA) and Abigail D. Spanberger (D-VA) to recognize their exemplary leadership that led to the passage of H.R. 82, the “Social Security Fairness Act. Both members credited the bill’s success in becoming law to the “relentless” efforts of FOP members, but without their tireless efforts and bipartisan cooperation, the bill would not have gotten through the House. The award, named after Joseph G. Armstrong, the mayor of Pittsburgh who in 1915 threw his support behind the FOP during their founding, seeks to recognize non-members who “stood with law enforcement when it mattered most. Representatives Graves and Spanberger have the gratitude of every one of the FOP’s 382,000 members.”

While endorsing Spanberger for governor, the VAPBA also backed Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares and Republican nominee for lieutenant governor John Reid.

Miyares and Reid also echoed a clear “law and order” message at the ticket’s July rally.

“We’re going to talk to law enforcement. Instead of standing against them, we’re going to stand with them,” Miyares told the crowd. “The mob will not rule Virginia if I’m in that lieutenant governor’s office,” shouted Reid.

Sabato noted the unusual split. “In decades past, I can certainly remember the police associations splitting tickets a lot and also going back and forth between the parties, but that was when we had a less polarized system. Usually, police groups end up siding with the Republican side, at least in Virginia, and I think nationally as well.”

Still, Sabato cautioned that endorsements don’t guarantee votes.

“For any union or association like this, the leadership can endorse, but that doesn’t mean the membership is always going to go along,” he said. “But this is a good image creator for Spanberger. It suggests to people she’s more centrist than other Democrats, and that she is more pro-law enforcement. And generally, that’s what most people look for, certainly in the suburbs and rural areas.”

The endorsement comes as a new Roanoke College Poll shows Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 46% to 39%, with 14% undecided. The survey of 702 Virginia residents, conducted Aug. 11–15, carries a margin of error of 4.39% among likely voters. Democrats also hold narrow, within-the-margin-of-error advantages in the attorney general and lieutenant governor races.

While Spanberger showed improvement, the poll showed her lead over Earle-Sears shrank from 17 pointsin the May poll. Sabato downplayed the significance of the changes. “That means nothing. It is well within the margin of error. Polls, as we’ve all learned, are not that precise anymore. So, this, along with the 20 other polls we’ve seen, have all had Spanberger in the lead, at least the non-partisan polls have.”

Sabato also noted the limits of campaign-season momentum.

“It’s August, and so many things will happen between now and the time people even start casting votes,” Sabato said. “You can’t ever pull down the curtain on a race until it’s actually over.”

The Earle-Sears campaign has not yet responded to our request for comment.

Early voting begins Sept. 19, with Election Day set for Nov. 4.