Abigail Spanberger and the centrist squeeze

The Democratic governor won in a landslide — and is now at war with her own base.

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June 8, 2026 10:15am EDT

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Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s been on a political rollercoaster. She was elected in a landslide last November on a moderate message, but her first task was to push through a partisan plan to gerrymander the state in response to Republican governors elsewhere. As her approvals sank with independents and Republicans, she’s recently tried to shore up her independent credentials by vetoing major bills from the progressive legislature on issues like labor, marijuana, and crime — and now the left is mad at her. But as Andrew Prokop writes, Spanberger may be the canary in the coal mine for future Democratic leaders: It’s not easy to play procedural hardball and keep the middle and say “no” to your base and keep the left.

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—Benjy Sarlin, senior editor, politics, policy, and ideas

This Democratic governor won in a landslide — and is now at war with her own base

Abigail Spanberger and the centrist squeeze.

by Andrew Prokop

Abigail Spanberger and the centrist squeeze

The Democratic governor won in a landslide — and is now at war with her own base.

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