Washington (AP) Six years ago, Democratic Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer Wexton stormed into Washington as part of a historic wave of female candidates for House seats, many of whom were determined to oppose Donald Trump’s policies.
We sort of ran in there like, “There’s a fire,” as members of that 2018 class. “We’re here,” remarked Spanberger.
The departing lawmaker took a deep breath. She and Wexton recently talked about their tenure in Congress in interviews with The Associated Press.
According to her, it’s a little different from the current atmosphere.
To say so would be an understatement. After making an unlikely political return, Trump, the president the two Virginia Democrats ran against when they defeated the long-standing incumbent Republicans, is set to take office for a second term. Spanberger and Wexton are two of 14 Democratic women who have departed or plan to leave Congress before the end of next year, out of the 35 who were initially elected in 2018.
That’s not to mean they’re giving up on public conversation or that their trip is ended.
When voters elected more women to the statehouse in 2017 and Spanberger, Wexton, and former Rep. Elaine Luria in 2018, Kelly Dittmar, research director at Rutgers University’s Center for American Women and Politics, referred to Virginia as a canary in a coal mine. However, according to Dittmar, the path to improved female representation hasn’t always been straight.
With the exception of Rep. Elissa Slotkin, who was elected to the Senate by Michigan voters this year, 21 of the 35 female Democrats who were first elected in 2018 campaigned for reelection to their House seats last month. And 20 won those races. In the 119th Congress next year, they will be one of 150 women—110 Democrats and 40 Republicans—serving, one less than the record of 151 set in 2023.
It is likely that Virginia’s next governor will be a woman for the first time because Spanberger is one of only two female candidates standing for the office.
However, because there is less female representation in the first place, Dittmar claimed that when women leave elected office, their absence is felt more keenly. It’s unknown if there will be another wave of women filing to run for office in the United States anytime soon, she added.
According to Dittmar, she investigated why women claimed to have run in 2018 and found evidence that they discussed Donald Trump. I believe that the difference between 16 and 24—which we just do not yet know—is the level of toxicity and tiredness that may be taken into consideration when determining whether or not to run for government.
That journey has taken unforeseen detours for both Wexton and Spanberger.
Wexton took the difficult decision to retire after being diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological condition that is comparable to Parkinson’s disease and can be fatal, after winning reelection twice. In exchange for her congressional pin, Spanberger is pursuing a more ambitious objective in state politics. Democrats Eugene Vindman and Suhas Subramanyam will take their place in Congress, reducing Virginia’s representation in Congress from four to two.
A connection made through friendship and public service
Reminiscent of their days on Capitol Hill, Spanberger and Wexton gathered in the majestic formality of a congressional conference room. Spending time together, having some similar opinions on public policy, and having a friendship that has withstood the turbulence of Washington politics have all contributed to their unusually tight bond. Since their victory speeches in 2018, a constant barrage of SMS texts has been sent.
Many women who marched, phone-banked, and organized in a grassroots movement that denounced Trump and sought to elect female Democrats supported their congressional efforts.
The votes went to them. An oath was taken. The women then went to work.
According to Rosalyn Cooperman, a professor at the University of Mary Washington, Wexton, who was once a state legislator and prosecutor, gained a reputation for looking out for her district. Cooperman said that she fought for committee assignments and funding possibilities that contributed to the federal government investing tens of millions of dollars in northern Virginia. She also addressed LGBTQ rights, childhood cancer research, and opioid addiction. Wexton co-sponsored the National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act, which President Joe Biden signed in July, following the announcement of her diagnosis. The law was named after her by lawmakers.
Former CIA agent Spanberger, who quit his job at an educational institution to run for Congress, developed a talent for taking on less well-known problems, such as delivering broadband to rural regions, combating drug trafficking, and issues pertaining to veterans. Last year, the Virginia Democrat was named as the 17th most bipartisan member of the House by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School.
According to Cooperman, both ladies approached their work with great efficiency and little fuss because they truly understood the districts they represented and what those districts needed.
When Spanberger and Wexton were originally running for their House seats in 2018, they quickly became friends. Together with Luria, who departed Congress after losing to Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in 2022, the two formed a triumvirate. Wexton, according to Spanberger, was her quick-witted big sister who offered her guidance on everything from handling a legislature to parenting teenagers. There was a time when Wexton wrote Spanberger a script for a floor speech.
With the use of an artificial intelligence software, Wexton described how Spanberger helped her in a more vulnerable way by doing her hair when she appeared before Congress despite her health issues.
That is no small accomplishment, Wexton added, adding that I had personally witnessed how difficult doing my hair was getting. Abigail would apply different lotions to my hair and use a circular brush to dry it for the next nearly ninety minutes.
It was amazing. I was incredibly pampered.
Spanberger chuckled and said, “You have so much hair!” as tears filled her eyes.
In 2023, Wexton discovered she had progressive supranuclear palsy. She lost the capacity to walk unassisted and talk fluently for the past two years. During her conversation, the congresswoman typed her thoughts on her tablet with her pointer finger and then played them out loud. She claimed that during her last months in Congress, kind coworkers would reintroduce themselves to her or treat her like a child.
People could assume that because my PSP has taken away my voice, it has also taken away my cognitive abilities, she said. However, that is untrue. I am exactly who I have always been.
Many women are coming to terms with Trump’s return to power as the current term draws to a close. Many Democrats claim that although the battle is still ongoing, it has taken unforeseen turns.
To put it plainly, I’m thrilled that Suhas Subramanyam and Eugene Vindman will be taking our place, Spanberger stated. However, the fact that we entered with this group of three ladies and that, within three terms, none of us remain is somewhat bittersweet.
Wexton expressed her hope that people will persevere, especially women.
“It is true that our democracy functions best when more people participate in it, but we won’t win every battle or election,” she remarked.
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Olivia Diaz is a member of the Statehouse News Initiative’s Report for America/Associated Press corps.
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