Really?
That’s the question posed in the latest campaign ad from Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger targeting her Republican rival, current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
The ad opens with footage from a CNN interview Earle-Sears sat for with anchor Manu Raju in which she dodged questions about President Donald Trump.
Raju asked “yes or no,” if Earle-Sears “supports the President’s purge of the federal workforce,” a reference to the Elon Musk-led DOGE workforce cuts. Earle-Sears became frustrated, saying she wouldn’t participate in the inquiry and arguing instead they should focus on “real issues.”
“Really? Not a real issue that thousands of Virginians are losing their jobs?” a narrator in Spanberger’s campaign ad says in response.
“It’s a real issue that Sears supports Trump, not Virginians. Winsome Earle-Sears: So far right, she’s wrong for Virginia,” the narrator continues.
A report from executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found DOGE cuts to be responsible for the loss of nearly 290,000 jobs in the state, leading to total job losses statewide this year of more than 800,000. The nearly 290,000 job losses came from federal jobs axed since federal layoffs began. Total layoffs statewide are already higher than last year, with four months left in the year, and are the highest job loss numbers since 2020.
The 30-second ad is set to air in the Richmond and Norfolk markets, according to Spanberger’s campaign, and is reportedly supported by a six-figure expenditure.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is nearing the end of his term and cannot seek reelection due to term limits.
Earle-Sears campaign Press Secretary Peyton Vogel said in a statement responding to the ad that it revealed Spanberger’s efforts to “deceive and distract.”
“Here’s the truth: cutting waste, fraud, and abuse from federal spending helps deliver much-needed relief to Virginians who’ve suffered for years under the economic destruction of spend-crazy liberals in Washington like Abigail Spanberger,” Vogel said.
Vogel added that Earle-Sears has worked alongside Youngkin to grow the Commonwealth’s economy, touting more than 250,000 available jobs.
An Opinions & Ratings Vote Share poll shows Spanberger leading Earles-Sears by 6 percentage points. Meanwhile, the RealClearPolitics average of polls put Spanberger at an average lead of 7.5 percentage points.
The General Election for Virginia Governor is November 4, 2025.
