Top 5 craziest things Spanberger and Dems are now trying to push in Virginia

New Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger wasted no time implementing her party’s priorities and getting rid of Republicans now that she’s Virginia’s big boss.

A long list of steps taken by Spanberger and Virginia Democrats, who now have a trio in the state with control of the governor’s office and both branches of the state Legislature, have been criticized by Republicans, several of whom chastised Spanberger for campaigning as a moderate but then ushering in radical policies.

“To hell with all of you who lied to uninformed voters and sold Abigail Spanberger as some sort of moderate,” complained Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain. “She’s been in office for about 6 hours and is already trying to turn Virginia into Minneapolis.”

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Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger speaks during inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia, Saturday, January 17, 2026. (Steve Helber/AP)

“But but but…I’m old enough to remember ‘moderate’ candidate Spanberger running ads talking about crime, touting her experience in law enforcement with her retired police officer father,” former NRC Executive Director Rob Simms said on X. “She’s a fraud, she’s always been a fraud, she’ll always be a fraud.”

Fox News host Mark Levin told

“Abigail Spanberger is not a moderate. Sick stuff,” James Laverty, communications director for Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said on X.

1. END COOPERATION WITH ICE

One of Spanberger’s campaign promises was to commit to repealing former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order requiring Virginia law enforcement to help work with federal law enforcement in carrying out immigration enforcement activities. On Saturday, as she signed 10 new executive orders shortly after being sworn in, Spanberger reversed that order from the former Republican administration.

“State and local law enforcement should not be forced to divert their limited resources to enforcing federal and civil immigration laws – that is the responsibility of federal law enforcement,” Spanberger said in signing his first-day directive. “Virginia state and local law enforcement officers must be able to focus on their primary responsibilities: investigating crime and providing community policing.”

ICE has been portrayed in an extremely negative light in ABC News, NBC News and CBS News, according to a new study from the Media Research Center. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

2. REDUCE MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES FOR RAPE AND YOUTH PORN

In addition to Spanberger’s first-day executive orders, Democrats in the legislature also took advantage of their new power by introducing amendments to end mandatory minimum sentences for various crimes in the state. Those bills included a proposal to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for rape, manslaughter, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography and other repeated violent crimes, according to outgoing Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares. Democrats also removed the five-day mandatory minimum sentence for first-time DUI offenders in the state.

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3. INCREASE IN TAXES

Although the Democratic Party had a message about affordability in 2025, Virginia Democrats were quick to raise taxes in the state, critics say. Among the bills they introduced were one that would increase the state tax rate on residents’ investments, another that would expand the retail sales tax to include several previously untaxed service sectors in the state, such as dry cleaning, landscaping, pet care, cosmetic services and gym memberships, a bill that would impose a tax on every delivery in Northern Virginia, ranging from Amazon to UPS, and an 11 percent tax on Virginia firearms.

“Virginia Democrats appear to be replicating the California model by driving out businesses and high-income households,” lamented Jonathan Turley, Fox News Media contributor and Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University.

4. Prioritize DEI in public procurement

Another controversial measure Democrats are pushing as part of their new power is a bill to require government contracts under $100,000 to be awarded to minority- or women-owned businesses, leading some critics to say the move discriminates against white men. The bill in question directs Virginia’s executive branch to set a goal of selecting firms based on DEI criteria for at least 42 percent of its contracts, while also awarding a certain portion of its contracts under $100,000 “to certified DEI firms.”

5. RIGHT TO ABORTION

The final step in a series of actions needed to enshrine the right to abortion in the Virginia State Constitution has also just been passed by the Democratic-led state Senate. If passed by voters in November, the constitutional amendment would allow abortion in the first and second trimesters, while letting Virginia regulate third-trimester abortion for a variety of reasons. This latest move has led pro-life critics to fear that the new law will allow abortion up to birth and interfere with parental rights when it comes to minors.

“What you’ll hear … is all we’re doing is solidifying Roe v. Wade, and they’re going to say the alternative would be a total ban on abortion in Virginia,” said Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia. However, Cobb argued that this was not the case.

“When a young girl is considering an abortion, her parents should be involved, this amendment would essentially undo that,” she continued. “Same thing with late-term abortion, while we in Virginia already have a situation where someone can have a late-term abortion, but it takes three doctors to sign off that in fact either the child is not viable or as they might say, ‘There is a need,’ we wouldn’t say that exists – for women’s health – which is how it can happen today. But after this amendment passes, you will find yourself in a situation where the only person who will make the decision whether a late-term abortion is possible is the abortionist, the one who profits from the operation.

Other notable mentions include a bill to end the hand counting of scanner-readable ballots, a bill to regulate “gas-powered leaf blowers” and other electric landscaping equipment, and a constitutional redistricting amendment that some critics say would give Democrats a 10-1 advantage. The state’s new attorney general, Democrat Jay Jones, also said his office would withdraw his Republican predecessor’s opinion that undocumented immigrants were entitled to tuition at the state’s universities.

Jerrauld “Jay” Jones, then candidate for Virginia attorney general, speaks at an event in Norfolk, Virginia. (Trevor Metcalfe/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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“Virginia’s proposed redistricting amendment is a response to what we’re seeing in other states that have taken extreme steps to undermine democratic norms,” Spanberger said during remarks to a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly.

Meanwhile, shortly after being sworn in, Spanberger announced that Virginia would join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative — a move she said would reduce costs but Republicans say would increase them.

“To me, it’s about cost savings. RGGI has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for Virginia – dollars that have gone directly to flood mitigation, energy efficiency programs and reducing bills for families who need help the most,” Spanberger added during his speech. “Removing RGGI did not lower energy costs. In fact, the opposite happened: it simply took money out of Virginia’s pocket. It’s time to right this wrong.”