A small army of politicos crammed inside Anita’s Cafe Thursday morning, angling to get a moment with Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and current Democratic candidate for Virginia governor.
Emily Gallarno wasn’t among their ranks.
No, Gallarno was simply sipping an iced latte, killing time on her laptop as she waited to pick up her son Grayson from summer camp. But then Spanberger approached her table, shadowed by a gaggle of media and cameras, and the Spotsylvania County resident suddenly had the floor.
Gallarno, who is Black, used her impromptu opportunity to ask Spanberger how she’ll ensure that her soon-to-be first grader won’t learn a revisionist version of Virginia history.
“Where am I going to have to pick up the slack for schools in terms of teaching him what’s happened to people who look like him here?” she asked. “I’m glad to hear it’s something she’s been considering, because it’s something that weighs on me a lot.”
Spanberger, who spent nearly two hours in Fredericksburg touring local businesses as part of her “Span Virginia Bus Tour” seemed equally impressed by the question.
“My point back to her was that all children in Virginia should be able to look back to all of the great figures in Virginia history,” she said, noting that her daughter, a rising senior in high school, plans to take an AP African American History class this fall. “I think you learn when you understand the full history, the best of the best and the worst of the worst.”
As governor, she added, she would sign into law SB 1462, which would allow two separate African-American history courses to count toward the state’s graduation requirements. During the recent general assembly session, the bill passed both the house and the senate before being vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
After touring Anita’s, where owner Anita Crossfield walked her through a picture wall with scenes from her native Kosova, Spanberger stopped in at Fillagreen, a local shop that focuses on sustainable products and bulk refills.
“I could spend all day in here,” said Spanberger, eyeing a series of compostable bamboo floss containers.
“We would like that,” replied a beaming John Hicks, who opened his Fredericksburg location eight months ago.
Spanberger, who was accompanied on the visit by her husband Adam, also toured Duly Noted, a boutique stationery shop, and Sammy T’s, a Caroline Street eatery known for its omnivore fare.
Abigail Spanberger, a Democratic candidate for governor, shakes hands outside Anita’s Cafe during a campaign bus tour stop on Thursday. (Photo by Joey LoMonaco)
While the downtown shops offered a rosy look at the state of small-business ownership, Spanberger said that economic uncertainty has emerged as a throughline as she’s campaigned statewide.
“What I hear everywhere I go in the Commonwealth is that people still face significant concerns in housing affordability, healthcare affordability, as well as concerns about education,” she said. “There’s just an overall uneasiness about where we are in this moment in time, both in Virginia and in the county.”
With the Senate poised to soon vote on the “Big, Beautiful Bill” that includes many priorities of President Donald Trump’s administration, Spanberger expressed concern over how the legislation could affect Virginians’ healthcare — particularly 250,000 people who have medical plans through the ACA exchange as well as six rural hospitals in the Commonwealth who receive significant reimbursement through Medicaid.
“What I’m looking at is the gamut,” she said, alluding to a range of outcomes depending upon which version of the bill emerges from reconciliation, the process by which House and Senate bills become a single piece of legislation. “We’re looking at how we can make sure that, come January, as few people as possible get pushed off of Medicaid.”
After taking a handful of questions from reporters, Spanberger re-boarded the bus, a navy blue behemoth with the simple announcement “Election Day is November 4, 2025” written in clear white lettering on the side.
For at least one prospective voter, it was a welcome reminder.
“I learned today that there was a governor’s race when the bus pulled up,” Gallarno said, glancing out the window at Anita’s. “I always vote, but I’m usually not this far ahead in the game.”
