Abigail Spanberger will be Virginia's first woman governor

Abigail Spanberger has won the race for Virginia governor, the AP reports.Why it matters: The Henrico native will be the first woman to hold the state's top office — and the first from the Richmond area in over a decade. Driving the news: Spanberger won 55% of the vote, per AP. Her opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, captured 45%.State of play: The former congresswoman and CIA agent's victory continues "the Virginia curse." That's the state's track record of electing a governor from the opposite political party of the sitting U.S. president.There's only been one time in the past 50 years when the curse didn't stick: The year after President Obama's reelection, Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat Republican Ken Cuccinelli. The big picture: The U.S. has had only 51 female governors. The crowd at Spanberger's victory party Tuesday night. Photo: Sabrina Moreno/AxiosZoom in: This election was one of the most-watched nationally, with many viewing it as a proxy for President Trump. He made considerable gains in Virginia during the 2020 election, but his new term has caused pocketbook pain to many statewide. Spanberger used the Trump administration's impact on Virginia's federal workforce and the rising cost of living as campaign talking points.She also frequently tied Earle-Sears to the president. Flashback: Spanberger's national profile began taking shape in 2018, when she flipped a longtime Republican House seat that represented Chesterfield and Henrico.Her victory sparked an unlikely blue wave in Chesterfield, largely driven by liberal women who channeled their dislike of Trump toward defeating Republicans in local races.

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