CNN "Newsroom" - Transcript: Interview with Abigail Spanberger
Interview
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Let me bring in Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger from Virginia. Congresswoman so good to see you.
So before we get into the negotiations on these spending bills, you're in your home state today stumping in this very tight race for Virginia governor and your candidate, Terry McAuliffe. Former President Obama will be on the campaign trail today in Virginia with him.
And Democrats are trying to campaign on an economic agenda that is still in limbo on Capitol Hill. So how do you do that in Virginia which is just a stone's throw away from the nation's capital?
REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-VA): Well, thank you so much for having me on to talk about the exciting race that's happening here in Virginia. I was in Henrico County today. I will be in Culpeper County later today. I'll be by Charlottesville and down into southwest Virginia tomorrow.
I'm so excited not only about Terry McAuliffe, Hala Ayala and Mark Herring, but also our House of delegates candidates who are all on the ballot this year.
And frankly Virginia is going in the right direction. Virginia is the number-one state for business for the second year in a row. And those are the things I'm talking about when I'm out there talking about what's at stake in this election.
And notably on the economic front, in his first four years as governor, Terry McAuliffe announced more than 1,100 economic development deals. He brought more than $20 billion in new capital to our commonwealth, and unemployment dropped in every single city and county across the commonwealth of Virginia when he was governor.
So the message is clear that I'm bringing. Terry McAuliffe was great for Virginia, he's going to be great for Virginia again. And we need to continue on this path toward progress. We want to be the number one state for business the third year in a row. And we've got our sights set on a variety of other accomplishments that we're working towards and will with him at the helm of the state.
WHITFIELD: Are you also thinking about what's at stake overall for Democrats if McAuliffe doesn't win? I mean, President Biden comfortably beat Trump in Virginia in 2020. And if McAuliffe and the Democrats can't pull out a win in ten days, do you worry that that could be an ominous sign for Democrats like yourself for the 2022 midterms?
SPANBERGER: Well, you know, I'm excited. If -- for anyone who's on the ground in Virginia, you know, people are focused on November 2nd. People are focused on the progress that we have made in the commonwealth and that we will continue to make when we re-elect our fantastic house of delegates members, when we flip a couple of seats and when we ensure that Terry McAuliffe, Hala Ayala and Mark Herring are elected for the statewide seats.
You know, there's a lot that's happening particularly as we continue this process of getting past COVID.
One of the areas that Terry McAuliffe is so focused is on the education of our children. And he's promised to ensure that we are raising teacher pay across the commonwealth of Virginia.
Notably Virginia ranks 50th for how we pay our teachers compared to the average income of other jobs, and that's just unacceptable. And so this is an important priority of former governor and future governor Terry McAuliffe, and you know, campaigning on real issues and real policies.
Terry's put out more than 20 specific plans of the places, of the priorities that he has for his second term as governor. And I'm just appreciative of the fact that he's been so transparent and so clear with the goals and the plans that he intend to work to realize.
[11:29:53]
WHITFIELD: And I hear you, you are laser-focused on a McAuliffe win. But is this race also sort of a barometer on what you run on come midterm elections?
SPANBERGER: So what I run on come midterm elections are the things that matter to the people I represent. I represent ten counties throughout central Virginia, a mix of suburban and rural communities.
And on the ground, people are focused on the economy. They're focused on the recovery. They're focused on, you know, the issues that matter to them, the health and safety of their kids, their loved ones, the strength of their small business for the small business owners, their ability to have a good paying job and a family-sustaining job.
And so those are the issues that I've always been focused on, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, ensuring that we are, you know, creating opportunity for our nation's youth, ensuring a strong and competitive economy that creates opportunity for everyone.
And so that's what I -- that's what I hear on the ground. That's what I continue to work on on Capitol Hill and certainly that's why I'm out campaigning so hard for Governor McAuliffe because his priorities, what he's done for the state already, the trajectory that we have been on, the number-one state for business two years in a row, we're going to go for the trifecta with the third year, and he'll -- we'll do that with him as our governor.
WHITFIELD: All right. Lots of energy being put into today and over the next ten days. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate, glad you could be with us today.
SPANBERGER: Thank you so much for having me.
WHITFIELD: Fantastic.
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