Spanberger makes reproductive rights a cornerstone of her run for governor

She’s pledging to defend contraception access and expand abortion protections.

Virginians got to learn a little more about the Democrat running for governor over the past few weeks, as Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger visited nearly 50 stops across all 11 of the commonwealth’s congressional districts on her “Span Virginia Bus Tour.”

“We need a governor who will work tirelessly to not just grandstand and talk about problems but to actually endeavor to govern,” Spanberger said at a rally in Charlottesville.

Standing alongside reproductive rights activists on the third anniversary of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Spanberger repeated the message that as governor, she’d protect Virginia’s position as the only Southern state to not ban abortion.

Policy priorities

Spanberger has made reproductive rights a central pillar of her campaign platform. She supports the Virginia Right to Contraception Act, also known as House Bill 1716 and Senate Bill 1105, which would have codified access to birth control and emergency contraception. The legislation passed by the state General Assembly, but was vetoed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin earlier in May, for a second time.

Her opponent in the 2025 general election, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, supported a 15-week abortion restriction similar to the proposal backed by Youngkin.

“No politician should be able to dictate when and whether Virginians have access to contraception,” Spanberger said in a statement following the veto. “Governor Youngkin’s decision to gut this legislation leaves the rights of Virginians at risk. Women across the country are watching anti-choice politicians block access to birth control and outlaw emergency contraception.”

READ MORE: Gov. Youngkin vetoes contraception protections—again

Spanberger also backs the Reproductive Freedom Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment that would protect the right to abortion, contraception, and miscarriage care. In order to appear on the ballot in 2026, the measure must pass two separately elected General Assembly sessions.

The amendment aims to preserve protections similar to what was guaranteed under Roe, making sure that decisions around pregnancy remain between patients and their providers, free from political interference.

A governor’s support is expected to play a key role in advancing the effort.

Virginia’s role in regional access

As other Southern states have passed restrictive abortion bans, Virginia has increasingly become a destination for abortion care. According to the Guttacher Institute, nearly 39,000 abortions were performed in the Commonwealth in 2024—about 5,500 more than the previous year. Nearly one in four patients came from out of state, up from just 15% the year before.

Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO and president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, called Virginia “on the front lines of tyranny,” referencing its role as the last Southern state that has not enacted new restrictions since Roe.

“Do you know what it means to be able to choose hope?” McGill Johnson said at Spanberger’s Charlottesville campaign rally, according to VPM. “Do you know what it means to be able to say, ‘I’m going to get in a car and I’m going to drive all the way up [Interstate] 95 until I can find an available health clinic willing to help me?’”

READ MORE: As southern states ban abortion, thousands of patients head north—to Virginia

Spanberger said if elected, she would work to make sure the state remains a place where people can access reproductive care without delay.

She has also connected reproductive rights to broader health care access, warning that proposed federal cuts to Medicaid through President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” could severely impact OB-GYN services, particularly in rural parts of the state.

“If that [bill] were to be signed into law, we would see hundreds of thousands of Virginians who would lose their access to health care,” she told CBS. “At least six of our rural hospitals would be so devastated they may close.”

The bill passed earlier today in a 51-50 vote, with Vice President J.D Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.

Campaign support and advocacy

Spanberger’s campaign is backed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, which recently endorsed 84 state-level candidates, including state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi for Lt. Gov., and Jay Jones for Attorney General. PPAV also announced a $2.5 million investment to help elect those aligned with reproductive rights protections.

“Three years after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, reproductive freedom remains under relentless attack across the South. In state after state, people are being forced to travel long distances, delay critical care, or carry pregnancies against their will. Virginia remains a critical access point—but without bold leadership, we could lose that too.” said Jamie Lockhart, executive director of PPAV. “That’s why we’re thrilled to endorse a powerful pro-reproductive freedom slate of candidates for the statewide offices and for the Virginia House of Delegates. These champions are ready to fight for essential health care, defend abortion access, and lead the movement to enshrine reproductive freedom in our constitution.”

Hashmi also spoke at the Charlottesville rally, sharing her own experience with pregnancy loss and the emergency care that followed.

“We shouldn’t have to ask the permission of politicians to be making personal decisions for our lives and our families,” she said.