Abigail Spanberger
Spanberger signed over 1,100 bills this session but now faces a statewide injunction halting her assault-weapons ban, a DOJ Second Amendment lawsuit, a blocked ICE-agent mask law, and organized refusal by local prosecutors. She is pushing data centers to pay transmission costs while preserving their sales-tax breaks, and touting Virginia's rise to third in CNBC's business rankings.
Governor Abigail Spanberger is mid-stride in the most consequential legislative stretch of her tenure, having signed over 1,100 bills before the July 1 effective date. Now several signature measures are meeting fierce resistance in court and from federal prosecutors.
Her gun-safety package — an assault-style weapon ban, ghost-gun crackdown, restored universal background checks, and a boyfriend-loophole closure — took effect July 1. But a Washington County circuit judge expanded an injunction statewide on July 7, halting enforcement while state suits and a federal DOJ Second Amendment challenge proceed. Attorney General Jay Jones is appealing. Spanberger defended the laws squarely, saying firearms "designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong in our communities." At least 14 commonwealth's attorneys have pledged to refuse enforcement, and a DOJ probe led by Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon is investigating whether Virginia State Police are intentionally delaying background checks to backdoor-enforce the blocked ban. A federal judge also preliminarily enjoined her law requiring ICE agents to display badges and barring masks on Supremacy Clause grounds; Acting AG Todd Blanche and DHS have both declared noncompliance.
On the budget, Spanberger broke a months-long impasse with a $207 billion biennial plan pairing a first-of-its-kind $0.011/kWh data-center electricity tax expected to raise $600 million annually with preserved sales-tax exemptions through 2035. The Data Center Coalition's CEO called Virginia "no longer a reliable partner." Her administration is now petitioning the State Corporation Commission to adopt a "but-for" cost-allocation method making data centers pay for transmission lines and substation upgrades driven by their demand, rather than spreading costs across all ratepayers. She is also reviewing the $67 billion NextEra-Dominion Energy merger, saying it is "too early to take a formal stance."
Spanberger launched sweeping prison reforms via Executive Order 12 — a community partnership council, a staff code of ethics, an office of professional standards, mandatory de-escalation training, and a ban on five-point restraints — reporting a 39% drop in use-of-force incidents and a 56% drop in serious inmate-on-staff assaults from January through May. She signed contraception access and equity laws that former Governor Glenn Youngkin twice vetoed, reached a deal to legalize recreational cannabis with sales starting July 1, 2027, raised unemployment benefits for the second time this year, and approved a $750,000 grant for a 150-job distribution center in Henry County. Virginia climbed to third in CNBC's 2026 state-for-business rankings, which Spanberger credited to "strategic investments" despite "economic uncertainty coming out of Washington." She faces a legislative pay-raise controversy and her collective-bargoring veto fractured the Democratic ticket, with Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi publicly breaking with her.
On their plate
A Washington County judge issued a statewide stay on July 7 halting enforcement of Spanberger's assault-weapons ban, expanding a limited injunction. A federal DOJ lawsuit filed July 1 challenges the ban as a Second Amendment violation. Two circuit judges have separately blocked the ban and a >15-round magazine ban. AG Jay Jones is appealing, while at least 14 commonwealth's attorneys have pledged non-enforcement. A DOJ probe is also investigating whether Virginia State Police are intentionally delaying firearm background checks to backdoor-enforce the blocked ban.
Spanberger's $207B budget compromise imposed a $0.011/kWh electricity consumption tax on data centers (~$600M/year) while preserving sales-tax exemptions through 2035. Her administration is now petitioning the State Corporation Commission to adopt a "but-for" cost-allocation method making data centers pay for transmission upgrades driven by their demand. Data Center Coalition CEO Josh Levison said Virginia is "no longer a reliable partner," and 72% of Virginia voters oppose the tax exemptions.
Spanberger's law requiring ICE agents to display name badges and barring masks was preliminarily enjoined July 1 by U.S. District Judge Robert Payne on Supremacy Clause grounds. She defends it as an accountability measure citing the deaths of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota. Acting AG Todd Blanche authorized the DOJ lawsuit, and DHS declared it will not comply with the mask ban.
Spanberger launched VADOC reforms June 23 under Executive Order 12: a Community Partnership Council co-led by Public Safety Secretary Stanley Meador, a 28-page staff code of ethics, an office of professional standards, mandatory de-escalation training, and a ban on five-point restraints. VADOC Director Joseph Walters reports an 18% recidivism rate, the lowest in the U.S.
Spanberger is crediting "strategic investments" for Virginia's rise to third place in CNBC's 2026 top-states-for-business ranking, framing her economic record against "economic uncertainty coming out of Washington" and federal workforce cuts. She approved a $750,000 grant for a 150-job distribution center in Henry County and raised unemployment benefits for the second time this year.
Key relationships
Trump celebrated the voiding of Spanberger's redistricting map, calling it striking down "Democrats' horrible gerrymander."
Attorney General Jones is defending Spanberger's assault-weapons ban in court against a statewide injunction and filed an emergency U.S. Supreme Court petition to challenge the voiding of her redistricting referendum.
Senate Finance Chair Lucas led the data-center tax push and negotiated the budget compromise directly with Spanberger, slamming "trillion-dollar companies whining about paying their fair share."
Data Center Coalition CEO Levison publicly stated the new energy tax signals Virginia is "no longer a reliable partner" to businesses, directly opposing Spanberger's data-center tax policy.
Acting U.S. Attorney General Blanche authorized the DOJ lawsuit against Virginia's mask ban and 287(g) restrictions, stating federal agents "do not deserve to be doxed or harassed."
Public Safety Secretary Meador co-leads Spanberger's new Community Partnership Council on Corrections and frames it as "partnering with the community and allowing them to help us do our job."
Sen. Aird was the lead Senate sponsor of the cannabis retail bill and co-designed the equity-focused framework with Spanberger, who said she was "happier with this as a solution than what I had suggested."
Virginia Citizens Defense League president Van Cleave's VCDL/GOA lawsuit won the Lancaster County preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of Spanberger's assault-weapons and magazine-capacity bans.
Lt. Gov. Hashmi championed the Senate contraceptive bill and attended the gun-safety signing, but publicly broke with Spanberger over her collective-bargaining veto, saying she is "determined and optimistic that Virginia will make collective bargaining available to public sector unions."
Del. Walker attacked Spanberger's use of the budget process to advance cannabis retail policy as "not how we conduct business" and "not the Virginia way."
Spotsylvania County Commonwealth's Attorney Mehaffey declared Spanberger's assault-weapons ban "obviously unconstitutional" and led the county to declare itself a Second Amendment sanctuary.
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