By Stephanie Sabin

WILLIAMSBURG — The Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce hosted a Commonwealth Conversation with Abigail Spanberger on Friday, March 21 at the Williamsburg Inn.

Spanberger is the 2025 Democratic candidate for Virginia Governor who began her career in federal law enforcement before joining the CIA. In 2019, she was elected U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

Led by Cliff Fleet, President and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the conversation-styled presentation focused on Spanberger’s career, lessons learned while serving in Congress, constituent’s concerns and areas she feels need to be addressed by the commonwealth.

“If it weren’t a desire to get into politics because of the climate, I wouldn’t be in politics,” stated Spanberger at the beginning of the conversation. Sharing the journey that led her into Virginia politics — as a public servant, working in the private sector, volunteer and  advocate — she stated, “the changes that it felt like to me as a voter, as an American, as a Virginian in our political system was what motivated me to run for Congress in the first place.”

As a self-proclaimed note-taker, Spanberger said that in her congressional role, she often reflected on the issues brought to her and realized many of those were state issues versus federal ones.

“I got to thinking, if I want to have an urgency of impact, on things I care about most — which is kids, education and the stability of our communities — I think I want to run at the state level,” explained Spanberger for why she made the decision to run for Virginia Governor.

“In 2023, I thought that this moment would be very different. But, in fact at this time —which I welcome differences of opinion — I think it is a relatively chaotic and difficult time. And, a time of division within our politics.” Spanberger continued, “It is an even more motivating time for me because the reason I ran in the very first place was because I didn’t like the politics of the moment. I didn’t like the representation that we had in our district. I know it is entirely idealist and a little optimistic to say, ‘ Oh, during this really difficult time I am going to endeavor to be a bit more steady or tamp down some of the chaos’ but, I think you have to at least start with that mentality of trying to improve things.”

Legislative Priorities 

If elected Governor, Spanberger plans to to use the knowledge and skills she honed from her time in Washington to implement changes in Virginia.

“I have a legislative record where I got things accomplished by bringing people together, forming coalitions, and in a two-party system that equates to bipartisanship. But, I built those coalitions by focusing on what are the things that are shared priorities. Recognizing that I don’t have to agree with everybody 100% of the time to be able to move the ball forward on an issue,” she said.

Education is a priority for the candidate. She stated that as a critical issue that drove her into politics, it is important to provide a quality education — both in lower schools as well as at collegiate levels — that will train, as well as retain, future Virginians.

Admitting that there is a challenge with teacher recruitment and retention, Spanberger stated that she feels that priorities are to focus on attracting graduates from Virginia institutions to enter the education workforce, more competitive teacher pay and to do more to create support in the behavioral health space to allow teachers more time to educate.

Housing, said Spanberger is another area that Virginia can improve on.

“This is a path where there is tremendous opportunity because everyone seems to recognize the housing crisis wasn’t created in a year and it wont be fixed it that short of a period,” she said.

The economy, healthcare access, loss of jobs and rising costs are also on her radar.

Historical Significance

As the America 250 celebration is close, Fleet asked Spanberger how we should be thinking about the moment — a major anniversary of our nation — commenting that if elected, as Virginia’s Governor she would be part of that history.

Spanberger, who could become the first female Governor of Virginia, talked about the pride in being an American.

“Throughout our history, we have had ebbs and flows. We’ve had better periods and worse periods. Particularly in the last decade, where this has been this upheaval. I think we so frequently are eager to forget,” Spanberger stated.

“We have the opportunity with the 250th to remember what is our common sense of pride. What is the commonality we as Americans share? Why is it that people the world over dream of coming to the United States? Why is it that we are the ones that defeated fascism in the second World War? Why is it we were the ones that were able to spur the fall of communism? Why is it that people who have dreams of some sort of success that would, literally be unimaginable anywhere else in the world come to our country? There are thread of that throughout our history.”

“Being able to celebrate how we started, who we are, how far we have come, how right we have gotten it, how wrong we have gotten it and that we are on this project of getting better.” Spanberger continued, “I think is a real opportunity for us to be able to — as people, as Virginians, as Americans — to really look towards (how do we want our kids) to grow up thinking about our Nation?”

“At the end of the day, I want to be part of the politics that is boisterous and feisty, but ultimately what I think Virginians deserve,” commented Spanberger.

The Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce’s next Commonwealth Conversation series is with with Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who is also running for Virginia Governor in the November 2025 election, on Wednesday, April 16.