Spanberger to make history as Virginia's first female governor
Democrat Abigail Spanberger is projected to win Virginia's governor race against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears by 10 points: 55%-44%.
That will make Spanberger, who has maintained a consistent lead in the polls throughout the race, Virginia’s first female governor.
The results of the Virginia gubernatorial election -- which comes during an election off-year -- is often viewed as a political bellwether for competitive races in the midterms the following year.
The governor's race is of particular interest this year because Virginia is home to more than 300,000 federal workers, many of whom were likely affected by efforts made by the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency to slash the federal workforce and the current government shutdown that has no end in sight.
According to preliminary ABC News exit poll data, about half of Virginia voters said that the economy was the most important issue facing the commonwealth, and most Virginia voters said federal government cuts are affecting their finances.
Spanberger's win may be seen as a referendum on President Donald Trump's second term in a state that he lost three times by considerable margins.
-ABC News' Halle Troadec
