At an event in Woodbridge, Rep. Abigail Spanberger responded to the report from Politico, claiming that she’s eyeing a run for the Governor’s mansion in Richmond.
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — At a roundtable with Black business owners in Woodbridge, Rep. Abigail Spanberger responded to questions from WUSA9 about whether she’s considering a run for governor of Virginia.
This line of questioning follows a report from Politico last week, which claimed she “has told multiple people she will run for governor in 2025.”
“My priority is looking out for the Virginians I represent in Congress,” she said. “My priority is getting through the 2023 races and ensuring that great candidates who are running across the Commonwealth can win and go to Richmond and do right by so many of the folks across Virginia. And so that’s my priority.”
Spanberger was first elected in 2018 as a centrist Democrat. Since then, she has gained influence within the Party, earning a spot in House leadership. Rep. Spanberger has plenty of time to make a decision about running, as the state-wide election is still more than two years away.
“After we get through the November elections, I look forward to speaking a bit more about what comes next,” she said. “But right now my priority is supporting good candidates and then of course doing a good job representing the people of Virginia’s 7th like we are doing today.”
Spanberger answered questions following an event with African-American business leaders, who were discussing the challenges they are facing, and how the government can assist. The roundtable was scheduled, in connection with Black Businesses Month, which kicked off this week.
“Bring us to the table,” said Jinnae Monroe, who runs an HR and Talent management company called Professionals By Design. “Invite us to Richmond. Allow us to sit at the seats at the tables. Not so that our voices are heard by representatives, but so we ourselves can be representatives.”
The event brought 35 business owners together to discuss their challenges and obstacles. Donnell Johns, who runs Veterans Growing America, a company that provides a commerce venue for veterans to sell their products, said that access to capital remains a big issue for Black business owners.
“For your small mom and pop restaurant or anyone who sells a product or a service, it’s hard to get capital…” he said. “Sometimes we don’t even know that this funding exists. They put the information on the website and hang out there and so if you don’t know about it or know where to find it, it’s almost impossible to get it.”
