Democrats in Virginia seem to be on top of the political landscape. In last November’s election, they won every statewide office and flipped 13 seats in the Legislature, an achievement that surprised even hopeful Democrats. And they hoped to flip as many as four seats in Congress this year after passing a resolution to redraw the state’s federal map.
Standing to reap the benefits of increased Democratic power was Abigail Spanberger, the newly elected governor and the first woman to hold the position.
Six months later, much of that momentum had evaporated.
Democrats were jolted Friday by the Virginia Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a new congressional map that voters narrowly approved last month in a poll.
And although the Democrats push for limits began before Governor Spanberger was elected, the court’s decision upset him, the leader of the party who was feeling happy a few weeks ago.
During his campaign, he was initially skeptical of the serious effort being made by the Democratic Alliance leaders. But after their efforts cleared one obstacle after another, Ms. Spanberger offered public, if measured, support for the proposed map, which led to criticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
“He is the leader of the group,” said L. Douglas Wilder, Democratic governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. And the new map was the best thing for his team, which gave him a big, if not absolute, contribution to its fate.
In a statement on Friday, Ms. Spanberger said she was disappointed with the decision. He also added that “as governor, he will focus on ensuring that all voters have the necessary information to express their voices in November in the mid-term elections because in that election we – the voters – will have the final say.”
In the first few months of his tenure, Mr. Spanberger found himself under constant fire from lawmakers left and right.
His relationship with Democratic leaders in the General Assembly is excellent. Some lawmakers have openly criticized his proposed legislative changes, accusing him of stalling long-sought Democratic priorities.
After he sent lawmakers his proposed amendments to the various bills they passed, the legislature recently returned many of the original versions, forcing him to vote or sign them as is. Some Democratic legislators have begun derisively calling him “141,” as if he were an extra member of the General Assembly.
Republicans have had their share of criticism, accusing him of too much support for the Democratic agenda. In pursuing other Democratic goals, even those he campaigned on — such as rejoining the multi-state accord to reduce carbon emissions — some Republicans have accused him of betraying his promises to be an honest, bipartisan leader.
“He’s got problems with his Democratic caucus in the House and the Senate; they don’t seem to be reading on the same sheet of music,” said State Senator Glen Sturtevant, a Republican. “But at the end of the day, he is the chief executive and the sum stops at him.”
His declining poll numbers seem to reflect this growing discontent. Although Mrs. Spanberger tried to get attention for the nuts-and-bolts policies he signed into law — such as raising the minimum wage and adding paid sick leave — this overshadowed the push for gerrymandering, which prompted tens of millions of dollars in political advertising.
In his campaign, he said he has no plans to redraw the state’s congressional maps. While Democratic lawmakers introduced a redistricting amendment in the final days of the campaign, he said he was not opposed to keeping the state’s options open.
When the amendment was put before the voters, Ms. Spanberger urged people to vote for it, but stressed that it was only temporary and the important thing was that people had a chance to weigh in.
“It’s not like taking a moral stance would be without cost,” said Brian Cannon, a Democrat who helps lead the caucus that opposes the border amendment. “But it turned out that the politically correct approach came at a very high cost.”
Management has had a rough start and is recovering. Ralph Northam, the last Democrat to hold the office of governor of Virginia, was impeached early in his term when it was discovered that he was wearing blackface in a yearbook photo. By the third year of his term, in large part due to his handling of Covid, his public approval had recovered significantly.
A lot of things are not going well for Democrats in Virginia right now, including this week’s federal attack on a powerful congressman’s office. Mr. Wilder, a former governor, says that this period can give Mrs. Spanberger’s chance to put his team on the right track and redefine his young position.
“Abigail has to think, ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my time?’ Said Mr. Wilder.
Reid J. Epstein reporting contributed.
