John,

Last week, I officially ended my six years in Congress and sat down with The New York Times to reflect on my time as the Representative for Virginia’s Seventh District. I’ve been honored to serve as a voice for them in Congress.

While there are many lessons I learned throughout the years, there is one I wanted to share with you on how I approached representing a battleground district and one that I will take with me as Governor of Virginia.

As the representative for a tossup district, I always had the opportunity and responsibility to listen to the perspectives of Virginians with differing views on how we tackle the challenges we face.

So, even when I was sure I knew how I was going to vote or what policy I was going to support, I have always tried to understand why someone might vote differently or oppose the same legislation. Why? Because I knew that, as a leader, I would need to explain and defend my decisions to those who didn’t agree with me. The people I represented deserved that accountability.

My approach has always required me to listen closely, see issues from every angle, and approach problems with a broader perspective. As the next Governor of Virginia, I will continue to embrace this approach—listening to all sides, weighing the options, and always putting the needs of Virginians first.

But I can’t do this alone. Your support is essential to making sure we can bring commonsense leadership back to the Governor's office and tackle the challenges our Commonwealth faces. So, will you join me in this effort by making a contribution today?

Thank you,

Abigail Spanberger