By Jimmy LaRoue
(WAVY) — Abigail Spanberger has officially become the Democratic nominee in the Virginia governor’s race, the state’s Democratic Party said Thursday.
No other Democratic candidates filed for the spot.
Spanberger is a three-term congresswoman representing Virginia’s 7th District who launched her bid for governor in late 2023. She visited WAVY last May, detailing her positions on several key topics.
VoteVets said in a statement that Spanberger has “delivered results time and again for veterans and military families.”
“Amid the chaos in Washington, Abigail has always been focused on making the lives of Virginians better,” VoteVets said in a statement. “As governor, that will remain her focus. We are proud to be behind her in the next phase of her campaign and look forward to helping her get elected this November.”
Six candidates will be on the ballot for the June 17 Democratic primary election for lieutenant governor, among them Virginia Beach State Sen. Aaron Rouse. The other candidates include Alex Bastani, State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, Prince William County School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef, Victor Salgado and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.
Two candidates are vying for the Democratic nod for attorney general — former Del. Jay Jones of Norfolk and Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor.
Jones, when he launched his campaign in November, promised to fight for Virginia families and to take extreme politics out of the attorney general’s office.
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a former state delegate who represented Norfolk, is vying for her party’s nod to be its candidate for governor.
An Emerson College/Nexstar Media survey of the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election released in January found that the majority of Virginians think the state is on the right track. It noted a tight race between Spanberger and Earle-Sears, with 42% supporting Spanberger, 41% supporting Earle-Sears, 4% supporting someone else and 13% undecided.
Former northern Virginia Republican Del. Dave LaRock officially filed paperwork in February to run against Earle-Spears for governor. Former Chesterfield County Sen. Amanda Chase had also said in February she was in the process of filing her campaign paperwork.
Pat Herrity, who has served on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for more than 15 years, announced in January a bid to be the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.
Jason Miyares, currently serving as the state attorney general, is running for the Republican nod to be attorney general again.
Thursday was the deadline for candidates to qualify for their respective party’s primary ballots.