CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – 7th District Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger has quickly picked up the endorsement of former Governor Ralph Northam before anyone else gets in the Democrats’ nomination race. This as Spanberger explained on Morning News why she’s declared she’s running for Governor so long before the 2025 elections. She joked with Jay James that her husband asked her the same noting it was 700-some days before the election. But she says she’s a planner, but more importantly wanted to leave enough time for people who wanted to run for the 7th District Congressional seat.

She says she could have run for re-election to Congress in 2024, but feels that’s not fair to her current constituents.  She also wants to ensure anyone who wants to be in Congress in the 7th District — which includes Greene, Culpeper, Madison, and Orange counties — has “plenty of runway” and to set their own legislative agenda.

Spanberger wants to run for Governor after serving in Washington because she wants to “bring some of the skills and ideas for real progress home to Virginia”.