In a move that underscores the turbulence within Virginia’s Republican ranks, the Virginia Police Benevolent Association (VAPBA) — the largest police representative body in the state — has now reportedly endorsed Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger for governor, breaking with nearly 15 years of backing GOP candidates in statewide races.
The decision delivers a blow to Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is trailing Spanberger in both fundraising and polling ahead of November’s election.
Spanberger has maintained a double-digit lead for months, more than doubled Earle-Sears’s fundraising totals, and ended the last quarter with nearly three times her opponent’s cash on hand.
Republican insiders have grown openly pessimistic about Earle-Sears’s prospects, with some labeling her campaign a “clown car” and warning that its struggles could imperil other GOP candidates on the ballot.
In 2021, the VAPBA endorsed Earle-Sears for lieutenant governor alongside Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is barred from seeking re-election under the state constitution.
This year, however, the group’s board of 30 active Virginia police officers sided with Spanberger, citing her law-enforcement background and bipartisan record.
“Abigail Spanberger grew up in a law enforcement family and is a former federal law enforcement officer herself, so she understands the responsibility of putting on the badge,” VAPBA President Joe Woloszyn said in the group’s endorsement statement. “As a Member of Congress, she repeatedly voted to increase funding for local police departments and sheriff’s offices — and she was relentless in pushing her bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act across the finish line to secure the earned benefits of thousands of Virginia’s retired police officers.”
Woloszyn described Spanberger as having “expert-level knowledge of the unique challenges facing Virginia’s law enforcement officers,” praising her commitment to “building trust across our communities and working towards a safer, stronger Commonwealth.”
Spanberger, in a social media post, called the endorsement an “honor” and pledged that as governor she would “always make sure our brave men and women in blue have the tools, resources, and training they need to do their jobs and keep us safe.”
The endorsement was part of a split-ticket approach from the VAPBA, which backed Republicans John Reid for lieutenant governor and Attorney General Jason Miyares for re-election.
Virginia’s separate-ticket system allows voters and organizations to cross party lines for individual races.
Richard Goska, a VAPBA field representative, told 13News Now that the board’s interviews with both gubernatorial candidates revealed dissatisfaction with the current administration’s handling of law-enforcement issues.
He pointed to “four years of reporting fraud, waste, abuse, and criminal acts committed by agency heads” as well as stagnant pay and high turnover in police and corrections departments.
“The board saw, in this case, that Spanberger answered the questions more completely, and in fact, it was one of the best interviews we’ve seen in this cycle compared to her counterparts,” Goska said.
Spanberger’s criticism of Democrats who backed “defund the police” rhetoric, combined with her history in federal law enforcement, appears to have helped secure a rare Democratic endorsement from the state’s largest police association.
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