Leahy: Abigail Spanberger Said She Plans to Win, But Redistricting May Present a Challenge
Virginia’s new congressional and legislative district maps could be ready at the end of the month. At the top of the list of politicos awaiting the state Supreme Court’s efforts is 7th Congressional District Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D).
I wrote about some of the issues facing Spanberger’s reelection effort a few weeks ago and how control of the House of Representatives could be decided in the Richmond suburbs — a good portion of which are in the 7th District. In a Nov. 16 interview with NPR, Spanberger offered a candid assessment of her reelection bid:
I plan to win. I plan to continue defending democracy and advocating for policies that matter to people. But I am eyes wide open on how hard that would be. Perhaps I just have the advantage of always having difficult races (laughter). So my perspective is I expect this one to be just as difficult as my last two races. And if we think our policies are good, as I do, then we need to make the connection for the busy voter who – they elect us to do the work. They just want us to do our job. And we have to continue demonstrating that that is indeed what we’re doing. And that’s what I’m attempting to do. That’s what I’m working to do. And if we do that, we will be fine.
Fair enough — at least until the new 7th District map appears. Meanwhile, Spanberger has been talking up the benefits of the recently approved infrastructure bill and the money it will bring to the commonwealth. Shrewdly, Spanberger’s office noted specific items in the 7th District that may get federal support.
But infrastructure projects take time to complete, and the benefits they deliver to specific constituencies are hard to measure. There aren’t likely to be any incumbent-friendly infrastructure photo-ops between now and Election Day.
But it’s not just concrete and tarmac Spanberger is touting. She is also pushing the benefits of more federal spending on broadband, calling high-speed connections “a utility as necessary as electricity.” And let’s not forget the federal money for electric car charging stations and the buckets of cash for mass transit.
