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Abigail Spanberger
May 2, 2026 5:49 AM

  

Abigail Spanberger1

  Abigail Spanberger A former CIA agent and member of Congress, Abigail Spanberger is a Democrat running for governor of Virginia in 2025. (more) Abigail Spanberger American politician Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Abigail-Spanberger Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

  External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Abigail Anne Davis Spanberger Written by Tracy Grant Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman to hold that title. Tracy Grant Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Aug 12, 2025 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot Quick Facts Also called: Abigail Anne Davis Spanberger (Show more) { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What was Abigail Spanbergeru2019s role in the CIA? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Abigail Spanberger worked as a field agent for the Central Intelligence Agency, both in the United States and overseas." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What prompted Abigail Spanberger to run for Congress in 2018? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Abigail Spanberger decided to run for Congress in 2018 in the wake of Donald Trumpu2019s victory in the 2016 presidential election and after Republican Rep. Dave Brat voted on the American Health Care Act, which would have affected health coverage for millions of Americans." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What were Spanberger and some of her colleagues called in the House of Reprsentatives? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Abigail Spanberger, Elissa Slotkin, and Mikie Sherrill, congressional representatives who all have backgrounds in national security, were nicknamed the u201CMod Squadu201D because of their moderate political positions." } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : " What is significant about Abigail Spanbergeru2019s 2025 political campaign? ", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "Abigail Spanberger is running for governor of Virginia in 2025, and if elected she would be the first woman to serve in that role." } } ] } Top Questions What was Abigail Spanberger’s role in the CIA? Abigail Spanberger worked as a field agent for the Central Intelligence Agency, both in the United States and overseas.

  What prompted Abigail Spanberger to run for Congress in 2018? Abigail Spanberger decided to run for Congress in 2018 in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election and after Republican Rep. Dave Brat voted on the American Health Care Act, which would have affected health coverage for millions of Americans.

  What were Spanberger and some of her colleagues called in the House of Reprsentatives? Abigail Spanberger, Elissa Slotkin, and Mikie Sherrill, congressional representatives who all have backgrounds in national security, were nicknamed the “Mod Squad” because of their moderate political positions.

  What is significant about Abigail Spanberger’s 2025 political campaign? Abigail Spanberger is running for governor of Virginia in 2025, and if elected she would be the first woman to serve in that role.

  For a significant part of Abigail Spanberger’s professional life, even her closest friends did not know what she did for a living. That is because for more than eight years she was a CIA field agent doing intelligence gathering in the United States and overseas on nuclear proliferation and terror threats. Four years after leaving the agency, she was elected to the U.S. Congress as a Democrat in a traditionally Republican district. In 2025 she is running for governor of Virginia. If elected, she would be the first woman to serve in that role, and her job and potentially her ...(100 of 972 words)

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