RICHMOND, Va. — Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Rep. Abigail Spanberger took the stage together for the first time on Friday since becoming the likely nominees for next year’s Virginia governor race. They spoke at the Virginia Economic Summit in Richmond.
Earle-Sears, a Republican, started by praising the current economic achievements under Governor Glenn Youngkin, saying Virginia cannot afford to go backward.
She highlighted that over 10,000 new businesses, offering good jobs, have been created during Youngkin’s time in office. Earle-Sears also criticized Spanberger for supporting a bill that could have weakened Virginia’s Right-to-Work law, which she said is crucial for the state’s economy. She promised that if elected, she would protect that law and focus on creating partnerships between the public and private sectors, developing the workforce, and boosting economic growth.
Spanberger, a Democrat, talked about her work in Congress, including her efforts on trade, agriculture, and infrastructure, such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. While she didn’t directly mention Earle-Sears, Spanberger took aim at former President Trump’s tariff policies, saying they could hurt Virginia’s agriculture industry. She promised to work for a stable and predictable business climate for Virginia as governor.
Spanberger also outlined her priorities, which include workforce development, affordable childcare, housing, and creating sites ready for businesses. She emphasized that her leadership record speaks for itself and expressed excitement for the future.
Business leaders at the summit introduced Blueprint Virginia 2035, a plan to shape the state’s economic policies. This plan will be presented to the governor elected next year.