Dem governor booed at Virginia Old Fiddlers' Convention
Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger was greeted by a chorus of boos at the Virginia Old Fiddlers' Convention over the weekend, as the governor faces sagging poll numbers and lingering political fallout from Democrats' failed push to redraw the commonwealth's congressional map.
Spanberger was met with boos after she was introduced and stepped to the microphone at the longtime Galax gathering, where musicians and spectators were marking the convention's 90th year.
Video from the event showed a chilly reception from portions of the crowd as the Democratic governor took the stage for about half of a minute.
Spanberger later highlighted her visit in a social media video but made no mention of the boos.
"I'm in Galax. We just went to the Old Fiddlers' Convention and I joined community members at the Poor Man's Dinner," Spanberger said. "It was an incredible time. There was great food, great music, and great community."
Spanberger's political standing has slipped just months into her first year in office. A July Virginia Commonwealth University poll found 44% of registered voters approved of her job performance while 47% disapproved, an unusually weak showing for a new Virginia governor, according to the university's pollsters.
Spanberger has also emerged from a bruising battle over mid-decade redistricting. The governor backed a Democratic effort that could have dramatically reshaped Virginia's congressional delegation. Voters narrowly approved the proposal in April on the back of a reported $70 million ballot campaign, but the Supreme Court of Virginia later struck down the effort in a 4-3 ruling, finding lawmakers had failed to follow required constitutional procedures. The existing congressional map remained in place.
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For Spanberger, a former congresswoman who campaigned for governor as a pragmatic moderate focused heavily on affordability, the Galax appearance offered Republicans another opening to argue that her early months in Richmond have alienated some of the voters she pledged to represent.
Republican Del. Tom Garrett, who represents Virginia’s 56th District, said the chilly reception was warranted and pointed back to the wasteful redistricting fight.
"She campaigned, and she was asked about doing a mid-decade redistrict to grab power and take voices away from people outside of Northern Virginia," Garrett told WSET. "She said she wouldn't do it and then she led the charge."
Republican Del. Wren Williams, whose district includes Galax, also praised the crowd for making its displeasure known.
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"If you think about the affordability agenda that has been run on and that she has championed, where are the results of that?" Williams said. "And we know the millions of dollars spent trying to disenfranchise the exact individuals that she is now trying to come and pander."
The governor’s office struck a far different tone when asked about the visit, saying Spanberger and her husband, Adam, enjoyed their time at both the convention and the Poor Man’s Dinner.
"Governor Spanberger and her husband Adam had a wonderful time at the Old Fiddlers’ Convention and Poor Man’s Dinner in Galax this weekend — talking to many community members, enjoying the music and festivities, and celebrating the convention’s 90th year," her office said in a statement.
"The Governor is grateful to all those who work year after year to make this event a success and a point of pride for all Virginians."
Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger's office for a response to the boos, but has not yet heard back.
The Old Fiddlers’ Convention is a longstanding Galax tradition that draws musicians and visitors for bluegrass and old-time music performances and competitions.
The episode also highlighted a geographic challenge for Democrats in Virginia. Spanberger won the governorship by 15 points last November, but the chilly reception in Southwest Virginia offered a vivid reminder of the resistance she continues to face outside the Democratic strongholds of Northern Virginia and other population centers.