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3h ago

Shutdown Recasts Virginia Governor’s Race as Spanberger and Earle‑Sears Trade Blame

The stoppage becomes a live test for early voters in a state with one of the largest federal workforces.

Voters cast ballots at a polling location on the first day of early voting in Leesburg, Virginia, on Friday.
The US Capitol building is pictured in Washington, DC, on September 30, 2025. The United States government was barreling towards its first shutdown in six years Tuesday, with funding expiring at midnight barring a breakthrough on deadlocked negotiations between Democrats and Republicans. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP) (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The federal government stopped operations on October 1, immediately becoming a central issue in Virginia's open governor’s contest.
  • Republican nominee Winsome Earle‑Sears faulted Democrats and backed a call from GOP lieutenant governors for a clean short‑term funding bill.
  • Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger urged President Trump to end the closure and linked its harms to DOGE cuts and tariffs while warning of potential job losses.
  • Virginia hosts more than 300,000 federal employees, concentrating economic risk in Northern Virginia and heightening anxiety over pay and services.
  • Early voting is underway, and interviews show the shutdown matters to many voters though several say their choices were set before this week.