Former President Barack Obama is endorsing Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the Virginia governor's race and starring in two new digital ads for her campaign.
"Virginia's elections are some of the most important in the country this year," Obama says in both ads, shared first with NBC News, which focus on the economy and abortion rights. He also says in both ads, "Every vote counts."
Virginia is one of two states, along with New Jersey, holding governor’s races this year. One year after the 2024 election, both races will be closely watched as indicators of how voters are responding to President Donald Trump and where the political winds are blowing ahead of the 2026 midterms elections.
Trump has not yet stepped into the race with his own endorsement. Spanberger is running against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
Spanberger has consistently led Earle-Sears in public polling and outspent her on the airwaves. She also has history on her side, with the party in control of the White House having lost 11 of the last 12 elections.
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.
