Who is Abigail Spanberger? New governor giving the SOTU rebuttal
Who is Abigail Spanberger? New governor giving the SOTU rebuttal
Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAYTue, February 24, 2026 at 3:29 PM UTC
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Virginia's governor is in the spotlight ahead of President Donald Trump's address to the nation the evening of Feb. 24.
Trump is slated to deliver his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress as he enters the second year of his second administration. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R‑Louisiana, invited Trump to deliver the speech in January.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is among at least a dozen Democratic lawmakers refusing to attend the Washington, DC event, saying they won't "legitimize" Trump's remarks. At least five senators and seven members of the House of Representatives said they would skip the address and, instead, hold a rally on the National Mall they dubbed the "People's State of the Union."
Spanberger, 46, will give Democrats' rebuttal to the president's address, the congressional leaders said.
Abigail Spanberger during the House Select Committee on Intelligence holds its 2024 Annual Threat Assessment in Washington.
The lawmaker's landslide gubernatorial win last year made her the first woman elected to Virginia's highest office, a win for the national Democratic Party in a year dominated by Republicans.
Here's what to know about Spanberger before the event.
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Who is Abigail Spanberger?
Spanberger is the 75th governor of Virginia.
The lawmaker was elected to the state's top seat in November after defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
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New Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger delivers her inaugural address Jan. 17, 2026, on the steps of the Virginia state Capitol in Richmond.
Born Abigail Anne Davis in New Jersey, she moved to Virginia where she served in the states 7th Congressional District in 2018 and won three consecutive terms.
"A proud product of Virginia public schools, she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia," according to Spanberger's online bio.
Previously, she worked at the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, her bio continues, and is also a former law enforcement officer with the CIA.
She and her husband, Adam Spanberger, and their three daughters live in Henrico County, where the state's capital, Richmond, is located.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., left, laughs with Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., in Frankel's office on April 1, 2019.
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How to watch the State of the Union
USA TODAY will stream coverage of the State of the Union.
Apart from the livestream, it will also be broadcast on the White House's YouTube page and by other major outlets, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NewsNation, NPR, PBS and the BBC.
Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Zachary Schermele
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Abigail Spanberger? VA gov. giving State of the Union rebuttal
Source: “AOL Breaking”
