Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger made a campaign stop at Be Wiched Diner in Martinsville on June 23 during her ‘Span Virginia Bus Tour.’
During the visit, Spanberger participated in a brief Q&A session with members of the media, spoke with the diner’s owner and staff, and met patrons before continuing on to scheduled stops in Wytheville, Blacksburg and Roanoke. She is traveling with her Democratic ticket mates, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, the nominee for lieutenant governor, and former Del. Jay Jones, the nominee for attorney general.
Spanberger told local press she wants voters to know, “that I am focused on issues that I so frequently hear about — issues of affordability in housing and healthcare and energy bills.”
Spanberger, a former CIA intelligence officer and member of Congress, also offered her perspective on the recent U.S. conflict with Iran.
“There’s a lot more that needs to be known about the full scope and size of this strike,” she said. Spanberger added that she has “concerns” about President Donald Trump authorizing the strike before consulting Congress.
“When we are looking at the potential for continued hostilities and potentially U.S. engagement, U.S. soldiers engaged in war, that is where Congress has the responsibility to involve us in those discussions,” she said.
Spanberger emphasized that any decision involving military action should be considered carefully. “War should be looked into with great thoughtfulness,” she said, adding that “it is constitutionally the responsibility of others to declare a war.”
On the topic of transgender athletes in schools, Spanberger said, “I think it’s a complicated issue. I think Virginia, frankly, had the right path where we had the Virginia High School League making case-by-case decisions.” She noted that this process had been in place for a decade and involved “parents, coaches, and the school to make a final decision on the individual athlete’s placement on the team.”
“I think it depends on the sport, depends on the kids,” she said.
Spanberger also stated her belief that politicians should not be directing decisions in individual athletic cases.
“I don’t think that it’s something that certainly politicians in Washington, where so much of the debate continues to be, or even in Richmond, should be dictating across the board what happens in every individual situation,” she said.
She urged empathy and consideration for the students involved.
“I think that the adults involved should really show a bit more grace about the kids who are impacted. Because at the end of the day, we’re talking about K through 12 kids who didn’t ask to be part of a political debate,” she said.
Spanberger also spoke about shared challenges in different parts of the state.
“So, we’re talking about infrastructure issues. It’s different in Southwest Virginia than it is in Hampton Roads or it is in Northern Virginia,” she said.
Education, she said, is another area where priorities align, though implementation can differ.
“Education — sometimes the same, right? The priorities are similar in that we want well-funded schools and our kids to be successful, but depending upon the size of the school or the school district, sometimes that looks like something different,” she said.
Her plan for southern Virginia, Spanberger said, is to keep visiting the region and listening to the people.
“Ensuring that I’m showing up, ensuring that I am answering questions, but more importantly, just making sure that I know the issues. Because there are some regional issues, particularly as it relates to economic development,” she said. “Southern Virginia is growing economically, and people still want to move here.”
