The result underscores a growing tension in Spanberger’s governorship: delivering a high-stakes political win while her broader political standing slips.

Spanberger entered office riding a wave of Democratic enthusiasm after winning 57% of the vote last November. Party leaders pointed to her as proof that a centrist approach could still deliver in competitive states, and she quickly emerged as a national figure, even delivering the Democratic response to the State of the Union. 

That momentum has faded quickly. A centrist by brand, Spanberger first rose to prominence by flipping a Republican-leaning House district in 2018 and ran her gubernatorial campaign on affordability and kitchen-table issues. But her high-profile role in the redistricting fight has pulled her squarely into a more partisan national battle.

Spanberger, who became the face of the “yes” campaign, said the outcome reflected voter motivation and awareness of the broader political landscape.

“When we found the results out, I was really excited but not surprised because it’s been clear for a number of months that Virginians were really motivated to take this temporary responsive stance and to do so by voting yes in a referendum,” she said during an interview with CNN on Wednesday. 

“And so the public, when we Virginians went to the polls,” she said. “We knew exactly what it is that we were voting for or against.”

She also tied the effort directly to actions by Republicans and President Donald Trump.

“This all began because President Trump said he was entitled to more congressional seats and implored his friends in Texas to make that happen for him,” Spanberger said. 

The measure is expected to significantly reshape Virginia’s congressional map, shifting it from a 6-5 Democratic edge to a possible 10-1 advantage if it survives legal challenges.

The victory comes after Republicans spent weeks targeting Spanberger personally, casting her as central to the effort. Opponents branded her “Governor Bait-and-Switch” and pointed to a 2025 interview in which she said she had no plans to pursue redistricting, while also highlighting her past opposition to gerrymandering during her time in Congress.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) echoed those attacks on Wednesday, accusing Spanberger of abandoning her earlier stance on redistricting.

“Someone who was very eloquent on the power abuse of gerrymandering was Abigail Spanberger, when she denounced it, until she decided to help with principles, all she cared about was power,” he said, speaking to the Washington Examiner. 

Spanberger has pushed back, arguing she has been consistent in her support and emphasizing that Republicans and Trump escalated the redistricting fight first. She appeared in statewide television ads urging voters to support the measure, even as critics circulated conflicting claims about her position.

Republicans argue the outcome says less about Spanberger’s political strength and more about partisan motivation among voters.

“Well, [Spanberger] probably feels like she dodged a bullet,” said GOP strategist Brian Kirwin. “We never knew which came first, the chicken or the egg. Did Spanberger make redistricting unpopular, or did redistricting make Spanberger unpopular? We were never really sure of that,” he said.

Democrats, however, say the result highlights Spanberger’s continued influence even as her approval numbers lag.

“I would argue that it’s a big win for her, because her approval rating is so bad,” Democratic strategist Brad Bannon said. “Despite the job rating, she clearly has political clout in the Old Dominion.”

Bannon said the victory reflects voters’ willingness to follow Spanberger’s lead on a high-profile switchup.

“Oh, I think it validates her,” he said. “I mean, she made a big pitch for this, and voters trusted her.”

At the same time, he acknowledged the political risks tied to her early standing with voters.

“If the governor was my client … I would tell her to be worried,” Bannon said. “You want to start off with a big bang when you’re becoming a new governor.”

He also warned the strategy could complicate her appeal to crossover voters, even as it delivered a win.

“Well, you know, it might hurt her with Republicans and independents,” Bannon said. “But on the other hand, more people voted for her [referendum] last night.”

Virginia Democratic strategist Jared Leopold cautioned against overinterpreting early polling while emphasizing the difficulty of Tuesday’s win.

“How many polls have we actually seen here?” Leopold said. “I don’t know that … I’m willing to make that conclusion after one major media poll.”

Leopold pointed to Spanberger’s central role in the campaign.

“I would say this is a big, big victory for Democrats across the state,” he said. “Anytime you’re the yes side of a referendum, you’re asking people to bring a change. And change is scary.

“And I think … the two biggest public messengers on this were Governor Spanberger and President Obama,” he said.

National Democrats quickly seized on Spanberger’s victory, casting it as part of a broader escalation in the fight over congressional maps nationwide.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Wednesday called the result “a big victory for the people of Virginia, a big victory for America, and a big victory for democracy.”

“Donald Trump and Republicans launched this gerrymandering war, and we’ve made clear as Democrats that we’re going to finish it,” Jeffries said.

VIRGINIA VOTERS APPROVE HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM

Spanberger, for her part, has sought to temper the partisan fallout, stressing that the change is temporary and not a permanent break from Virginia’s redistricting system.

“I supported it vocally, campaigned for it, but I want us to return … to our bipartisan redistricting commission after the 2030 census,” she said during the CNN interview on Wednesday.

David Sivak contributed to this report.