Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears is slamming her Democratic opponent in the gubernatorial race, Abigail Spanberger, for betraying Virginia voters by accepting $150,000 from a Democratic redistricting group and then backing a controversial special session to redraw the state’s political lines.
A redistricting constitutional amendment, HJ 6007, was filed in the Virginia House of Delegates this week after state legislators were called to convene for a surprise special session.
One day before the redistricting push was announced, Spanberger and Democratic House Speaker Don Scott accepted $150,000 each from the National Democratic Redistricting Committee.
As such, Spanberger, who in August said she has “no plans to redistrict Virginia,” flipped her position and is now supporting the redistricting effort.
Spanberger has also made comments in the past framing redistricting as “detrimental to our democracy” and saying “one of the largest issues plaguing our country is the issue of gerrymandering.”
On The John Fredericks Show, Earle-Sears said Spanberger’s shift when it comes to redistricting proves the Democrat “has a price” and will not hesitate to sell out Virginia on other issues.
“Abigail Spanberger has a price. It’s $150,000. She broke her word, she broke her pledge, and sold out Virginia…That’s the kind of person she would be as our governor. If she will do this kind of thing in the light, What will she do behind closed doors? My God, she cannot be trusted. Abigail Spanberger cannot be trusted,” Earle-Sears said.
Earle-Sears stressed how Virginia voters do not approve of the current Democrat-forced redistricting effort, pointing to the bipartisan redistricting process that Virginians overwhelmingly approved through a constitutional amendment several years ago.
“The voters of Virginia have already spoken about how they feel about gerrymandering. They don’t like it. They don’t want that…They don’t want politicians carving up [new districts].
“This is a clear grab for power and control and voters of Virginia,” she stressed.
Beyond redistricting, Sears expanded her attack to frame Spanberger as out of touch with ordinary Virginians, pointing to the Democrat’s support for open-border policies, environmental regulations that raised electricity bills, and restrictive gun laws.
In contrast, Sears described herself as a fighter for accountability, lower costs, and law and order, and urged Virginians to get out the vote for herself and her Republican ticketmates.
“God has given us the ability to choose our leaders. We don’t want to be crying and saying ‘I wish, I wish.’ Don’t wish. Go vote now. Vote for your children, and your children’s children. Vote for your prosperity. Vote for jobs to continue to come to Virginia, because the governor is responsible for that,” she said.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
