Originally published by Newsmax | By Nicole Weatherholtz | April 6, 2026
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger is off to a divided start with voters, according to a new Washington Post-Schar School poll showing the Democrat with a 47% approval rating two months into her term, while 46% disapprove and 7% have no opinion.
The numbers suggest Spanberger, despite winning last year by 15 points while stressing bipartisanship, has yet to unify Virginians and faces sharp partisan resistance early in her administration.
The poll found Spanberger’s approval rating is 13 points below the average for Virginia governors in Washington Post polling since the 1990s. Her standing also trails former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s late-term showing last fall, when he posted 50% approval and 46% disapproval.
Voters appear more polarized over Spanberger than they were over Youngkin. The survey found 29% strongly approve of her performance and 38% strongly disapprove.
“Some amount of polarization is baked in, but this is unusual at this early stage,” Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason University’s Schar School, told the Post regarding her early-stage polarization despite her centrist cultivation.
The poll indicates Spanberger is holding most of her Democrat base, with more than 8 in 10 Democrats approving of her performance.
But she has made little headway with Republicans, with nearly 9 in 10 disapproving. Among independents, she is nearly even, with 45% approving and 46% disapproving.
Spanberger has pushed affordability issues such as healthcare access and housing while drawing criticism from the right over immigration and redistricting.
In addition, “multiple tax proposals in the General Assembly, even though not enacted” drove perceptions that “Democrats in Richmond lurching way left,” according to Rozell, which likely affected the governor’s image.
Some voters interviewed in the poll said Spanberger abandoned her centrist pitch after taking office.
Gregory Roddy, a self-described independent voter from Fairfax County who leans conservative, told the Post that Spanberger “switched over,” citing her move to limit Virginia’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“Now, she’s just a bot for the Democratic Party,” Roddy, 69, said.
Others praised her decisiveness.
“I really appreciate somebody that takes up the mantle, goes in and says, OK we’re doing XYZ,” Marcus Shaw, 30, of Hampton, told the outlet.
The poll found 45% of Virginia voters think Spanberger’s views are “too liberal,” while 42% say they are “just about right” and 7% say she is “too conservative.”
That perception may be feeding doubts about affordability, a central theme of Spanberger’s agenda.
More Virginians said her policies will make the state less affordable than said they will make it more affordable, 41% to 31%. Another 23% said her agenda would make no difference.
“Affordability is a great campaign theme, but almost an impossible governing one” given governors’ limited tools to affect prices, Rozell stated. He added that while the public might support specific proposals, “as long as the overall environment on affordability remains unchanged, there is inevitable disappointment.”
The poll was conducted March 26-31 and surveyed 1,101 registered Virginia voters. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.