Virginia’s Next Governor an Advocate for Better Broadband

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2025 – Virginia’s next governor, Abigail Spanberger, says broadband expansion will be at the heart of her administration’s infrastructure priorities.

A three-term member of Congress and former CIA case officer, Spanberger said her experience in Washington showed that many Virginians still lack dependable high-speed internet. She has pledged to revitalize broadband and energy infrastructure as part of a broader plan to spur economic opportunity and job growth across rural Virginia.

Representing Virginia’s 7th District in the House of Representatives, Spanberger took action to improve broadband speeds, affordability, and deployment. In 2021, her Speedy Updates Act was signed into law as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The measure directed the federal government to ensure that new broadband networks are built to meet modern upload and download standards.

The law evolved from an amendment Spanberger first proposed in 2020, which urged the Federal Communications Commission to regularly review its speed thresholds.

“If we’re going to keep our rural businesses, farms, and students competitive, we need to recognize that the broadband infrastructure we build must meet the need for faster downloads and uploads,” she said.

Co-sponsored 2021 proposal to authorize broadband funds 

Spanberger also co-sponsored the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act, a 2021 proposal that would have authorized more than $80 billion for broadband infrastructure, digital equity initiatives, and expansion of the FCC’s E-Rate program for schools and libraries. Although the bill never became law, many of its priorities were later incorporated into IIJA.

In February 2024, Spanberger led Virginia’s congressional delegation in urging House appropriators to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, warning that the program’s lapse would strip broadband access from hundreds of thousands of households across Virginia. 

The letter, signed by all seven Virginia representatives, emphasized that more than 450,000 Virginia households, roughly 14 percent of the state, relied on the $30 monthly internet subsidy.

“One of Abigail’s top priorities in Congress was to advance bipartisan legislation to make sure all Virginians are connected to high-speed broadband internet,” Spanberger’s website states.  

“As Governor, Abigail will continue to support strong investments and state-level grant programs to help more Virginians finish their homework assignments, keep up with telehealth appointments, grow their businesses, and stay in touch with their loved ones.”

Before entering politics, Spanberger built a career in law enforcement and national security. She began as a U.S. postal inspector, investigating money laundering and narcotics cases, and later joined the Central Intelligence Agency as an operations officer, where she worked on counterterrorism and intelligence gathering overseas. 

After leaving the CIA, she entered the private sector as a manager at a federal contractor before turning to public service and running for Congress in 2018.

On Tuesday, in the governor's race, she defeated Republican nominee Winsome Earle‑Sears by a margin of about 57 to 43 percent. When she assumes office on January 17, 2026, Spanberger will become Virginia’s first female governor. She will succeed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Spanberger grew up in Henrico County, Virginia. She earned her undergraduate degree in French from the University of Virginia and obtained an MBA through a joint program between Purdue University and the GISMA Business School in Germany.