Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), the Democratic nominee in the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial campaign, attended the Virginia NAACP’s 90th Annual Convention and said “it was an honor to join so many incredible leaders and advocates,” and shared photos from the event, as seen below.
Conservative journalist Brad Polumbo responded to the photos on social media by writing, “I would love to know what rationale there is for the NAACP to not endorse Winsome Earle-Sears, who, if elected, would be the first black female governor.”
[Spanberger, who is White, is running against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor, who is Black.]
It was an honor to join so many incredible leaders and advocates tonight at the Virginia NAACP’s 90th Annual Convention! pic.twitter.com/nBByso9AOz
— Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerForVA) October 25, 2025
Polumbo’s comment elicited a response from Greg Collard, former executive director of West Virginia Public Broadcasting, who replied: “It’s not that unusual for the NAACP to endorse a white person over a black person – especially if the white person is a Democrat.”
Polumbo replied: “Oh, I understand that it is not unusual, but I think it’s a massive red flag that they are just an ideological Democratic activist group at this point.”
CNN senior politics reporter Andrew Kaczynski joined the conversation and wrote of the NAACP: “They’re an advocacy group and they think Spanberger would be better on policy.”
Appearing mindful of the conversation brewing on social media, the NAACP reminded the public on Tuesday afternoon that the national organization does not endorse political candidates.
Speaking for the advocacy organization founded in 1909 to combat segregation and racial discrimination, Dominick Whitehead, NAACP Chief of Field, Membership Growth & Unit Sustainability, wrote: “Let us be clear: The NAACP has not and does not endorse candidates. We fight for civil rights. Any claim that the Association or the NAACP Virginia State Conference has endorsed a candidate for Governor is categorically false.”
“We’re laser-focused,” Whitehouse wrote, “on getting our people to the polls to defend democracy and to vote for leaders who stand for policies that benefit Black Americans.”
Expressing frustration, Whitehouse lamented: “People want to turn this into a political game, but for our communities, the stakes are life and death.”
