Spanberger holds lead as Virginia race nears close | JQJO

As Virginia’s governor’s race enters its final days, Democrat Abigail Spanberger maintains a steady polling edge over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. The off-year contest, seen as a bellwether, unfolds amid a grinding government shutdown and anxiety among the state’s 300,000-plus federal workers. Spanberger has campaigned on lowering costs for housing, health care, and energy, while Earle-Sears has pressed attacks tying her to Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ texting scandal and to policies on transgender students. A Christopher Newport University poll lists democracy, inflation, and health care as top concerns and shows Spanberger up seven points.