Spanberger sidesteps question on reversal over Virginia redistricting stance

The interview came after Virginia voters approved the redistricting referendum. The measure allows for revised congressional maps ahead of the midterm elections in November, with supporters arguing it responds to similar efforts in Republican-led states.

"Well, I think that that's fair criticism of places like Texas, where it was the legislature that pushed through a redistricting effort without any buy-in from the people," she said. "Here in the Commonwealth of Virginia, certainly it was the General Assembly that drew the maps, but the maps were made available to the public."

"I think it really depends on leadership from the top," she said. "Importantly, this all began because President Trump said he was entitled to more congressional seats and implored his friends in Texas to make that happen for him."

Blitzer followed up with a more pointed critique, asking what Spanberger would say to those who believe "two wrongs don't necessarily make a right." Spanberger acknowledged the concern but did not directly address whether her current position aligned with her prior campaign rhetoric.

"You know, I hear them, and I won't argue with that point," she said. "But I think that the people of Virginia, when looking at the landscape of what is occurring across the country, the people of Virginia said we want to take this temporary responsive effort."

Instead, Spanberger pivoted to broader political messaging, arguing the referendum reflected voter frustration with national conditions.

Spanberger addressed criticism from constituents who viewed the referendum as partisan, again shifting focus away from the question of campaign consistency.

"I campaigned on a broad array of issues," she said. "There are many bills and many priorities that I am going to support that a whole host of Virginians will support, and there may be some that not everybody does.

Public campaign finance data shows that both sides of the referendum battle spent significant amounts with combined expenditures reaching into the tens of millions of dollars, reflecting the high stakes of the redistricting fight.

Spanberger argued that the tone of the opposition campaign ultimately backfired with voters.

"I think, frankly, some of the mechanics of how the 'no' vote actually tried to trick people here in the Commonwealth of Virginia made people feel really fed up," she said.