1. Abigail Anne Davis Spanberger is an American politician and former intelligence officer who served as the US representative for from 2019 to 2025.
38 Facts About Abigail Spanberger
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Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic nominee for governor in the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election.
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Spanberger was born Abigail Anne Davis in Red Bank, New Jersey, on August 7,1979, where her father was a police officer and her mother was a nurse.
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Abigail Spanberger relocated with her parents, Martin and Eileen Davis, to Short Pump, in Henrico County in Virginia, outside Richmond, when she was 13 after her father moved from policing to federal law enforcement for the United States Postal Inspection Service.
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Abigail Spanberger attended John Randolph Tucker High School, and was later a page for US senator Chuck Robb.
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In 2006, Abigail Spanberger joined the Central Intelligence Agency as an operations officer.
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Abigail Spanberger said she gathered intelligence about nuclear proliferation and terrorism.
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In July 2017, Abigail Spanberger announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in in the 2018 election against incumbent Republican Dave Brat, a Tea Party movement member.
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Abigail Spanberger made the final decision to run after the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
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Abigail Spanberger faced a close reelection contest against state Delegate Nick Freitas, who represents much of the congressional district's northern portion.
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Abigail Spanberger was boosted by Joe Biden narrowly carrying the district; Biden is the first Democrat to win what is the 7th since 1948.
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Abigail Spanberger argued that Democrats should watch Republican ads before deciding how to talk about issues and "not ever use the word 'socialist' or 'socialism' ever again".
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Abigail Spanberger's remarks were disputed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who noted that Democrats kept the House, and progressive representative Rashida Tlaib, who said the Democratic Party should "study the results" before dismissing progressives who represent their districts.
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Abigail Spanberger was seen as one of the most vulnerable incumbents of the 2022 election cycle, with pre-election polls projecting a close race with Republican Prince William County supervisor Yesli Vega, a law enforcement officer endorsed by Governor Glenn Youngkin and former president Donald Trump.
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On September 23,2019, Abigail Spanberger joined six other freshman House Democrats with national security backgrounds in calling for an impeachment inquiry into Trump.
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On June 1,2020, Abigail Spanberger tweeted criticism of Trump's reaction to the George Floyd protests, a series of protests against police brutality that began in Minneapolis on May 26.
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Abigail Spanberger took issue with Trump after police used tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protestors and a priest during the George Floyd protests to clear a path so that he could have a photo op in front of St John's Episcopal Church.
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Abigail Spanberger opposed Democrats' attempts to amend the Insurrection Act of 1807, saying that amending the rarely used law would not accomplish what Democrats intended.
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In November 2023, Abigail Spanberger declared her candidacy for governor of Virginia in the 2025 election.
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Abigail Spanberger is a centrist Democrat and has described herself as a "passionate pragmatist".
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Abigail Spanberger has called for the passage of the USMCA trade deal negotiated between the Trump administration, Mexico, and Canada.
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In May 2020, Abigail Spanberger voted against the HEROES Act, a proposed $3 trillion stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Abigail Spanberger said the bill went "far beyond" pandemic relief and had no chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate.
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In November 2020, Abigail Spanberger led a bipartisan effort to secure the 340B Drug Pricing Program against changes that would lead to significant increases in prescription medication costs.
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Abigail Spanberger has introduced legislation that would require lawmakers, as well as their spouses and dependent children, to place assets in a blind trust while in office.
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Abigail Spanberger described the Green New Deal proposed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a "bold compilation of ideas meant to address global climate change" but criticized it for allegedly including unrelated policy proposals and not identifying specific resolutions to the problems that it identifies.
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In January 2020, Abigail Spanberger sponsored the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act, which passed the House unanimously.
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Abigail Spanberger co-sponsored the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which grants Medicare Part D the power to negotiate prescription prices directly with drug companies.
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On February 1,2023, Abigail Spanberger was among twelve Democrats to vote for a resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.
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Abigail Spanberger objected to President Trump's travel bans from certain predominantly Muslim countries and argued that they would aid jihadist propaganda by allowing a portrayal of the United States as an anti-Muslim country.
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Abigail Spanberger has voiced her support for stronger border security measures but opposes Trump's proposed wall.
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Abigail Spanberger voted for a bill that included funding for border infrastructure, technology at ports of entry, and more customs and border patrol agents.
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Abigail Spanberger voted to allow US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be notified when undocumented immigrants attempt to purchase firearms, and voted against the House budget in summer 2019 because it failed to acknowledge the growing national debt.
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In 2023, Abigail Spanberger voted against overturning the District of Columbia's revision of its criminal code, which reduced the maximum penalties for burglary, carjacking, and robbery.
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Abigail Spanberger opposes defunding the police, and has supported bills that would increase the ability of local police departments to hire and train more officers.
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Abigail Spanberger has called for a new version of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that expired in 2004.
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Abigail Spanberger favors requiring background checks on private gun sales and supported a ban on bump stocks.
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Abigail Spanberger is married to Adam Abigail Spanberger, an engineer, and they have three daughters.