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In a significant move, former President Barack Obama has thrown his support behind Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger in the Virginia gubernatorial race. Obama is featured in two fresh digital ads created to bolster her campaign.
Obama highlights the critical nature of Virginia’s elections in the ads, emphasizing their national importance. Both commercials, initially revealed to NBC News, spotlight key issues such as the economy and abortion rights. Obama underscores the necessity of participation, reminding voters, “Every vote counts.”
This year, Virginia and New Jersey are the only states conducting governor’s elections. With the 2024 election just behind us, these races serve as crucial barometers for public sentiment regarding former President Donald Trump and may hint at political trends leading into the 2026 midterms.
So far, Trump has not made any endorsements in the Virginia race. Spanberger’s opponent is Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.
Spanberger has consistently maintained a lead over Earle-Sears in public opinion polls and has invested more heavily in advertising. Additionally, historical patterns favor her, as the party holding the presidency has lost 11 of the past 12 gubernatorial elections in Virginia.
The lone exception came in Obama’s second term, when Democrat Terry McAuliffe prevailed in 2013 amid a government shutdown, which adversely affects Virginians who work for the federal government.
Even with those advantages, turning out voters can be difficult in an off-year election, and Obama is working to remind voters of the stakes of the race.
“We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” he says in one of the ads.
The other spot highlights the cost of living, an issue Spanberger has focused on throughout the race.
“Republican policies are raising costs on working families so billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” Obama says. “As governor, Abigail will stand up for Virginia families. She’ll work to build an economy that works for everyone, not just big corporations and the wealthy. But it won’t happen without you.”
Obama won Virginia twice, first by 6 percentage points in 2008 and then by 4 points in 2012.
GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who cannot run for re-election because of term limits, won his race in the state by 2 points in 2021.
Obama is also starring in a TV ad in California, where voters will cast their ballots in November on a proposal to allow the state to redraw its congressional lines. Gov. Gavin Newsom led the mid-decade redistricting effort to draw more Democratic-leaning districts after Texas legislators redrew their congressional boundaries to benefit the GOP.
Obama has been more vocal about his criticisms of Trump amid the Democratic Party’s leadership vacuum following Trump’s win last year.
Other high-profile Democrats — and potential future presidential hopefuls — are heading to Virginia and New Jersey ahead of Election Day. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will campaign with Spanberger next week, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was also in Virginia recently to boost her bid.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and his wife, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, recently campaigned for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Jersey. And Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer are also expected to campaign with Sherrill this weekend.
