RICHMOND, Va. — Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger — who has made standing up for Virginia workers and protecting Virginia’s economy a top priority — today released the following statement calling on Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears to cancel her upcoming rally with Vivek Ramaswamy, “one of the original ‘DOGE’ leaders.”
Earle-Sears’ decision to campaign with Ramaswamy comes as Virginia’s unemployment rate has risen for seven consecutive months and the Commonwealth is forecasted to have no job growth in 2026 — in large part because of the Trump Administration’s firing of thousands of Virginia federal workers. These negative trends coincide with Virginia losing its CNBC ranking as “America’s Top State for Business.”
“Virginians, their families, and their communities are hurting because of the Trump Administration’s attacks on Virginia’s economy. Instead of campaigning with one of the chief architects of this chaos, I encourage Winsome Earle-Sears to meet with Virginia workers fired by the White House. These Virginians deserve to hear directly from my opponent about why she continues to prioritize loyalty to President Trump over their well-being — and every Virginian deserves to know why she refuses to stand up for our Commonwealth’s economy.
“I’ve been speaking out against these devastating attacks on Virginia workers since January and even before then, back when Mr. Ramaswamy was laying the groundwork for DOGE. As Virginia’s next Governor, I will never be afraid to push back against President Trump’s policies that are hurting Virginia families, Virginia businesses, and Virginia’s economy. I’m calling on my opponent to cancel this rally and finally put Virginia first.”
BACKGROUND
In July, Spanberger announced her Growing Virginia Plan, which focuses on growing Virginia’s economy, protecting Virginians’ jobs, and bringing new jobs to every corner of the Commonwealth.
The Spanberger for Governor campaign also released a TV ad highlighting Winsome Earle-Sears’ refusal to stand up to the Trump Administration’s attacks on Virginia jobs. When asked about her support for Trump’s disastrous purge of Virginia’s federal workers in a recent CNN interview, Sears dismissed the question — saying she would rather talk about “real issues.”
Additionally, Spanberger has announced her Affordable Virginia Plan and Strengthening Virginia Schools Plan — showing that her administration will have a plan on day one to lower costs for Virginia families and address the challenges facing Virginia schools.
As a Member of Congress, Spanberger built a record of working with both Democrats and Republicans to deliver results for Virginians — and was named the most bipartisan Member of Congress from Virginia.
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