Spanberger confirmed as Democratic nominee for Virginia governor's race
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) was confirmed Thursday as the presumptive Democratic nominee in the 2025 gubernatorial race in Virginia.
She is the lone Democrat running to be governor, according to the Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA), which released a full list of candidates running in the 2025 primary races Thursday evening, once the 5 p.m. EDT filing deadline had passed.
Virginia’s primary elections will take place June 17, 2025, and the general election will be held Nov. 4, 2025.
The DPVA confirmed Spanberger’s name “will appear on the general election ballot.”
“Thank you to every Virginian who has shared with me their vision for our Commonwealth’s future since I launched my campaign," said Spanberger, a moderate Democrat who served three terms in the House after serving as a CIA case officer.
"As the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia, I look forward to having many more meaningful conversations with all Virginians — across our communities and regardless of who they’ve cast their votes for in the past — about the issues that matter most to them," she continued in the statement.
The other Democratic primary races in Virginia will be more competitive.
The DPVA listed six names that will appear on the primary election ballot in June running for lieutenant governor: Alex Bastani, Senator Ghazala Hashmi, Prince William County School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef, Senator Aaron Rouse, Victor Salgado and former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.
The DPVA confirmed two Democrats running for attorney general: former Delegate Jay Jones and Commonwealth’s Attorney of Henrico County Shannon Taylor.
On the Republican side, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) is running for governor.
It remained unclear by Thursday evening whether former state Sen. Amanda Chase (R) met the qualifications to appear on the GOP primary ballot or whether the lieutenant governor would also be the presumptive nominee for her party.
Chase said she filed the paperwork to run for governor on Thursday but did not have time before the 5 p.m. deadline to count and verify that she had the necessary number of signatures to make the primary ballot.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is ineligible to run in November, as Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms.