Washington Examiner columnist Joe Concha said the new polling data on Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D-VA) approval reflects the “bait-and-switch” she pulled on voters.
Spanberger is facing a split in her approval rating, polling less than three months into her term as governor: 47% approve, 46% disapprove, and 7% are undecided. The governor portrayed herself as a centrist candidate ahead of the 2025 election, though a Fairfax County resident told the Washington Examiner that Spanberger “switched over” on her portrayal and is now “just a bot for the Democratic Party.”
Concha said the “adoring media” praised Spanberger as “this great moderate” candidate on the campaign trail. However, he said it’s hard to distinguish Spanberger and “the Squad” members, consisting of Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), since entering the governor’s mansion.
“She’s proposing dozens of new taxes; she ran on not redistricting the state, only to redraw the state map to likely give Democrats a 10-1 ratio over Republicans in Congress, a state Kamala Harris won by about five points,” Concha said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends First. “And in Fairfax County, that’s the northern part of the state, 75% of murders there have been carried out by [illegal immigrants], and then Spanberger just keeps talking about how she’ll never, ever work with ICE.”
Concha said voters are “already showing buyer’s remorse” with her approval data, which puts her “lower than any Virginia governor has this early” into a term. He added this shows “the old saying applies,” to never judge a candidate by their words, but by their actions.
Concha’s statement on Spanberger’s stance on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement likely refers to her scrapping an executive order from former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin that furthered state law enforcement’s collaboration with ICE officers. Spanberger said that immigration enforcement and law enforcement priorities, such as safety and security, weren’t aligned.
Spanberger also signed a bill to redistrict the state, with Election Day for this referendum set for April 21. Virginia is one of many states undergoing redistricting ahead of the 2026 elections.
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Youngkin said he has “more to give” since leaving office in January, saying he is “chomping at the bit” in a podcast released Tuesday. Youngkin couldn’t seek reelection in November since Virginia governors are barred from serving consecutive terms, though he could seek the governor’s mansion again in 2029.
The Washington Examiner has contacted Spanberger’s office for comment.