The Moderate Mirage of Virginia Gov. Spanberger
by Victoria Manning
Spanberger’s appointments and executive orders tell the real story of race-based politics and radical priorities.
Abigail Spanberger ran as a moderate Democrat to win over swing voters, but her new record as Governor already tells a different story. Her appointments reveal a clear alignment with the radical left—putting Virginia on a path toward the same failed policies that have plagued states like California. One of her first executive orders emphasizes race-based preferential treatment.
Gov. Spanberger appointed Sesha Joi Moon to fill the new position of Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Moon declared that DEI is “a constitutional mandate” and claims to be a “black queer woman.” She was previously the chief brand strategist for far-Left Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
When statues in Richmond were being torn down and smashed, Sesha Moon cheered them on. A statue of Christopher Columbus, funded by 1,000 Italian Americans in Richmond, was ripped down and thrown in the water. Moon praised those actions saying, “The ancestors, just took a hold and said ‘we’re done here’ and yanked that joint down and then threw it in the water. I was on IG [Instagram] like, ‘Richmond is going off right now!’”
When Moon was the Diversity Director for the U.S. House of Representatives, her focus was hiring staffers based on race. That mission aligns with Spanberger’s day one executive order (EO) to give preferential treatment in hiring minorities and women in state government.
Gov. Spanberger’s EO 9—ironically titled “equal opportunity”—directs “state appointing authorities and other management principals” to take affirmative measures “to emphasize the recruitment of qualified minorities, women, disabled persons, and older Virginians to serve at all levels of state government.” EO 9 is a replica of former Gov. Ralph Northam’s first executive order issued in 2018.
Spanberger will push affirmative action in hiring practices based on immutable characteristics such as race, sex, and age, rather than qualifications for the job.
Spanberger’s cabinet pick for Secretary of Health and Human Resources (HHR) is Marvin Figueroa. He will oversee the public health operations of the Virginia Department of Health and advise the Governor on policy and patient care. Figueroa has no experience or training in the medical field—his undergraduate degree is in Latin American studies and political science, and he has a master’s in education policy.
As the Virginia Deputy Secretary of HHR during COVID under the Northam administration, Figueroa was a leading figure in the repressive COVID shutdowns in Virginia. Figueroa also worked in a prominent position in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in under Biden.
In 2020, on the advice of HHR, Gov. Ralph Northam prohibited any gathering of more than ten people, including for church services. All Virginia businesses, schools, and churches were ordered closed except those he deemed essential—liquor stores could remain open but churches and schools were not vital under Figueroa’s administration. Church leaders that defied the order faced criminal misdemeanor charges.
In 2020, Figueroa told William & Mary University students that the high COVID hospitalizations and deaths of black and Latino Virginians was due to systemic racism. He spoke regularly across the state about ongoing structural racism that caused inequities in healthcare. Figueroa used race-based decision making in his role as deputy secretary—pushing more resources to address “racial disparities” rather than considering socio-economic status.
In 2022, Figueroa boasted about participating in the “Pride flag raising” at the federal HHS building in D.C. where it flew for an entire month. He also emphasized the need for “environmental justice.”
Cameron Webb is Spanberger’s Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Health—reporting directly to Figueroa. Webb previously served as a senior advisor on President Joe Biden’s COVID response team. He was also the Director of Health Policy and Equity at the University of Virginia medical school. In 2020, he ran unsuccessfullyfor Congress as a Democrat in Virginia 5th congressional district.
In a 2022 interview, Webb said the COVID vaccine was vigorously tested and fully approved. Typical FDA approval for vaccines normally spans over a decade of research and trials. The COVID vaccine was created and approved within 2 years—hardly meeting a standard of vigorous testing as proclaimed by Webb. Yet he supported forcing healthcare workers to get the COVID shot or lose their job.
Webb’s anti-second amendment rhetoric is notable. He claims “gun violence is a public health crisis”—blaming guns for crimes rather than those pulling the trigger. He favors universal background checks, banning so-called “assault weapons,” and passing red flag laws.
In a 2020 interview, Webb claimed that he doesn’t support socialized medicine yet he persistently advocates for publicly funded healthcare. He also pushes “environmental justice” claiming “there is no more pressing emergency than our climate crisis.”
Stanley Meador will be the Virginia Secretary of Public Safety & Homeland Security. Meador was in charge of the FBI Richmond field office and was allegedly involved in drafting a memo that targeted traditional Catholics as radical extremists. Meador’s FBI used the discredited Southern Poverty Law Center as a resource for their investigation—the same organization that labeled Moms for Liberty "extremists" and added them to their “hate map.”
In a 2025 House Judiciary Committee report, Meador is accused of misleading Congress in his testimony. The report states, “Meador may have misled the Committee and the public about the extent of the Richmond Field Office’s involvement in investigating Catholic Americans.”
In response to Spanberger’s appointment of Meador, National Political Director of CatholicVote, Logan Church said the decision “tells every Catholic in America that violating our civil liberties isn’t a problem, it’s a pathway to advancement.”
Campaign slogans fade quickly, but policy consequences will last. These early actions make clear that Spanberger’s administration is less about unity and more about advancing a progressive agenda. If Gov. Spanberger continues down this path, the Commonwealth risks higher costs, deeper divisions, and policies that put politics ahead of people.
