Roommates to Governors: Two Women’s Shared Journey

Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic governor-elect of Virginia. Mikie Sherrill is the Democratic governor-elect of New Jersey. Their political party isn’t the only thing that unites these two. The women actually lived together in Washington, D.C., when they were freshmen members of Congress, and have now both won their respective elections. And yet, that’s another trait they share: making history. Spanberger will be the first-ever female governor of Virginia, and Sherrill will be the first female Democratic governor. 

According to People Magazine, Sherrill and Spanberger bonded over frozen Trader Joe’s meals and their roles as working mothers. The two women were and are still very close friends. Before moving in together, the freshmen members of Congress both rented solo apartments, but found the experience to be lonely. Eventually, they moved in together, living together in D.C. from Monday through Thursday while Congress was in session. The two have a lot in common, especially the fact that Spanberger, the governor-elect of Virginia, was born in New Jersey, and Sherrill, the governor-elect of New Jersey, was born in Virginia. 

These women are just two of the many Democrat-won elections as of recently. On Nov. 4, the blue party swept the nation, winning not only Virginia and New Jersey but the New York City mayoral race, as well as many other local seats previously held by Republicans. Many strategists believe that this partisan swing reflects voters’ opinions on the cost of living — a key issue that both Spanberger and Sherrill campaigned on. 

Spanberger’s Affordable Virginia Plan covered three main voter-centered issues: healthcare, housing, and energy. In her healthcare plan, she discussed holding large pharmaceutical companies accountable for inflating drug prices, as well as targeting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). The governor-elect’s housing proposal centers around putting home ownership within reach for all Virginians. She aims to reduce regulations that hinder construction, grant flexibility in building more housing, and address the rise of homelessness and displacement in Virginia. Concerning rising energy costs, Spanberger plans to utilize existing resources and implement energy efficiency measures. 

Mikie Sherrill followed a similar path when it came to New Jersey’s expenditure. She proposed The Affordability Agenda, which included several additional outreach topics. She highlighted housing, energy, and healthcare just like Spanberger did, but added sections on tax relief, children, and food prices. Her first three sections follow very similar programs to Spanberger’s. New Jersey has one of the highest property taxes in the country. Sherrill plans to reduce this by creating shared municipalities and cutting tax loopholes used by the ultra-wealthy. Regarding food prices and the cost of groceries, the newly elected governor wants to hold larger corporations accountable for increasing rates and invest in local retailers. 

A mere few days have passed since the election of these two Democrats, along with several other elected Democratic Party members. Who’s to say what this means for our already divided political climate, or if these new officials will bring any noticeable change at all? We will simply have to wait and see. 

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