1:22Virginia Democratic candidate for governor, former Representative Abigail Spanberger speaks during a campaign rally at Soricha Tea & Theater, Oct. 30, 2025, in Annandale, Va. Virginia Republican candidate for governor Winsome Earle-Sears gives a speech during a campaign event at the Rockingham County Fair, Oct. 30, 2025, in Harrisonburg, Va.Win McNamee/Getty Images | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The GOP contender is utilizing a familiar concluding statement in the Virginia gubernatorial contest.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' electoral effort allocated substantial funds on advertisements criticizing Democratic nominee and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger concerning her position on transgender rights within Virginia schools.
One commercial alleges Spanberger supports "males in girls' changing rooms," and ends with the declaration that "Abigail Spanberger is for they/them, not us" — an unmistakable mimicry of a commercial the Trump team employed against Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential cycle.
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger speaks during a campaign event at Soricha Tea & Theater, Oct. 30, 2025, in Annandale, Va. Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears speaks during a campaign event at the Rockingham County Fair, Oct. 30, 2025, in Harrisonburg, Va.Win McNamee/Getty Images | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
The 2025 Virginia election for governor will occur on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The present Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, took office back in 2022 and is unable to run again.
The discussion surrounding trans rights was also prominent in Youngkin's 2021 bid. Youngkin has reduced accommodations for trans students and increased requirements for parental notification during his term.
Nicole Neily, CEO and originator of the not-for-profit Defending Education, indicated that the emphasis on this matter in Virginia began with Youngkin's contest, which he secured by advocating for parental entitlements within Virginia schools.
"This is a subject that has been on the minds of mothers and fathers all over Virginia," Neily mentioned to ABC News. Nevertheless, she incorporated that regarding this specific competition, she "cannot perceive this transforming the outcome of the election by any measure."
As the race has continued, Earle-Sears has maintained the Youngkin administration's concentration on the issue, according to what she told ABC News in a statement.
"This concerns fairness, security, and prospects," she proclaimed within the statement. "If elected, I will protect these freedoms and ensure our children's well-being for generations to come. Voters comprehend this, and they are aware that I mean it because I have been with them since 2021, and I will proceed standing with them as Governor."
"We observe approximately $30 million worth of attack ads against me regarding trans youth," the Democrat disclosed to Katie Couric during an interview just last week. "There is a significant campaign of trying to provoke some form of fright."
Spanberger's election team did not acknowledge demands for comment from ABC News.
"I find it particularly upsetting that there are children who might turn on the television and, in an effort to target me, see depictions of themselves portrayed as a wrongdoer," Spanberger inserted. "I truly trust that many of these decisions, encompassing sports participation or restroom access, need to be addressed at the very community level with guardians, educators, and principals and not necessarily directed — definitely not by the federal government — or the state government."
In a recent commercial her campaign issued that seemed like a response to the Earle-Sears team's commercials, Spanberger spoke to this in a direct manner.
"My belief is that we should exclude politics from our schools and place trust in parents and local communities," she stated.
Spanberger has kept her lead against Earle-Sears, as Virginians mention matters such as rising prices and risks to democracy as some of their biggest anxieties in the upcoming election, according to a recent survey from Christopher Newport University.
Virginia governor’s mansion near the capitol in Richmond, Virginia.STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images
In addition, Virginia is home to more than 300,000 federal employees, who have very likely been impacted by the procedures taken by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency along with the existing government cessation.
Tucker Martin, a Virginia-based Republican analyst, suggests that aside from Earle-Sears' concluding plan, the present political climate in Virginia entailed that her bid for governor was "an uphill battle from the beginning."
"Any Republican about to be the Republican candidate to be governor during this cycle — given Trump’s White House return in a state where he has lost three times in a row by wide margins — was facing significant issues," Martin reported to ABC News.
Martin does not think Earle-Sears' emphasis on trans rights has struck a chord "at all" among voters.
"Transgender matters simply are not a primary concern for Virginians at the moment," he clarified.
"What does well in Florida or Wisconsin might not do well in Virginia or New Jersey," Martin included, bringing up another intensely contested gubernatorial race this year. However, Martin conveyed that it could demonstrate to be a "compelling issue" during "competitive congressional contests."
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. looks on in the Oval Office of the White House, Oct. 10, 2025.Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Considering the 2026 midterms are swiftly approaching, with Republicans trying to keep their grip on both legislative bodies and Democrats desiring to turn over some seats, the political importance of culture war discussions like the current one is a subject that each party will be monitoring intently.
"Republicans have surrendered to the most radical segments within their party by giving up concerns about everyday spending in favor of an anti-freedom plan that is obsessed with allowing politicians to render determinations that should be decided by guardians and doctors," DCCC representative Viet Shelton reported to ABC News in a declaration.
"Instead of getting involved in personal matters, House Republicans should alternatively spend their time growing the middle class, decreasing expenses, and safeguarding liberties," Shelton's declaration continued. "That is certainly what House Democrats are concentrating on — and it is the reason why we will be successful in 2026."
Spanberger has been successful in bypassing confronting the controversy immediately in this race, often noting her background investigating child predators as a federal law enforcement agent and her conviction that those decisions should be given to local communities.
According to Martin, this topic is a matter that Democrats such as Spanberger will need to enhance their positions on in forthcoming elections located in other states or regions.
"I am not saying the Spanberger campaign has navigated it well, but what is working for them is that it is just not a matter in Virginia that voters are particularly stressed about," Martin stated.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
