Abigail Spanberger has won the governorship elections in Virginia, becoming the first woman in history to land the top job in the state.

Ms Spanberger, a Democrat, defeated Republican candidate Winsome Sears by scoring 57.5 percent of the total votes cast, while the latter received 42.3 percent of the votes.

The governor-elect had previously worked for the Central Intelligence Agency and served in Congress for three terms before contesting the governorship polls.

She built her campaign on condemning the layoffs and funding cuts carried out by the Donald Trump administration, arguing that Virginia needs a strong voice to advocate for their needs. 

She vowed to be that voice.

She also used the month-old government shutdown to drive home her point in a state where over 300,000 federal workers have been furloughed.

“We need a governor who will recognise the hardship of this moment, advocate for Virginians, and make clear that not only are we watching people be challenged in their livelihoods and in their businesses and in communities, but Virginia’s economy is under attack,” Ms Spanberger said at her campaign last month.

Her opponent, Earle-Sears, had condemned Ms Spanberger’s support for policies which she said threatened the safety of girls—whose gender at birth is female—in their college bathrooms.

“Love is not having my daughter having to be forced to undress in a locker room with a man. That’s not love,” Ms Earle-Sears said at a campaign in October. “Love is making sure that our girl children have opportunities in sports and are not forced to play against biological males.”

However, recent events, including the lingering government shutdown, swayed voters to support Ms Spanberger.