**Summary of the News Article:**
### Conservative PAC Launches Attack Ad Targeting Spanberger’s Stance on Transgender Issues in Virginia Governor’s Race
As the Virginia governor’s race intensifies, Restoration of America PAC, a network of conservative organizations, has released a forceful advertisement targeting Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger over her positions on transgender issues. The ad is part of a broader strategy to push Spanberger to clarify her views on policies affecting transgender youth, an area the PAC claims she has largely avoided discussing during her campaign.
#### The Ad and Its Message
The recently launched advertisement, which is being broadcast on television and digital platforms throughout Virginia, is part of a $3.3 million statewide campaign. Accompanied by ominous music, the 30-second spot accuses Spanberger—a former CIA officer and U.S. Representative—of holding radical views that endanger children. Specifically, the ad asserts that Spanberger supports sex reassignment procedures for minors and would permit biological males to access girls’ locker rooms and compete in girls’ sports.
"Abigail Spanberger is as extreme as it gets," the ad declares, before further alleging that she is "all in on horrifying gender mutilation reversal and irreversible sterilization of children." The language used in the ad is intentionally provocative, designed to elicit a strong response from viewers and to force Spanberger to publicly address these controversial issues.
#### Political Context and Stakes
Spanberger is running against Republican candidate and current Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in one of only two gubernatorial races in the United States this November. This contest is seen as a key political bellwether ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, drawing national attention. Adding to the race’s significance, former President Barack Obama recently endorsed Spanberger, bolstering her campaign as most public polls show her with a lead over Earle-Sears.
Transgender rights and policies regarding gender-affirming care, participation in sports, and access to facilities have become highly charged political topics, both in Virginia and nationwide. Conservative groups have increasingly focused on these issues, framing them as central to parental rights and child safety. Against this backdrop, Restoration of America PAC’s ad campaign seeks to capitalize on these concerns among Virginia voters and to pressure Spanberger into taking a definitive public stance.
#### Spanberger’s Legislative Record
The PAC points to Spanberger’s voting history in Congress as evidence of her alleged "pro-trans record." Specifically, she voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in 2023, legislation aimed at restricting transgender women and girls from competing in female sports categories. Additionally, Spanberger co-sponsored the Equality Act in 2019, 2021, and 2023. This bill sought to include gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes under federal civil rights law, a move that critics argue would require public schools and facilities to allow transgender girls to use girls’ restrooms and participate in female sports.
While these legislative actions place Spanberger on the side of expanding legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, her campaign has been circumspect in addressing the specific allegations raised by her opponents. In response to questions from local media last month about her position on transgender participation in girls’ sports and access to bathrooms, Spanberger emphasized the need for decisions to be made by parents, teachers, and administrators on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the age of the child, the nature of the sport, and competitive fairness.
#### The Push for Clarity
Restoration of America PAC’s founder and CEO, Doug Truax, has been vocal in criticizing Spanberger’s approach, arguing that she is evading the issue because it is unpopular with the general electorate. "She’s not running for library board in some town. She wants to be governor of Virginia," Truax told Fox News Digital. He contends that Spanberger’s record makes her position clear, despite what he describes as calculated silence from her campaign staff.
According to Truax, the issue of transgender policies in schools and sports is reaching a "boiling point" for many parents and grandparents, not just in Virginia but across the nation. He characterizes gender-affirming care for minors as "mutilating kids" and predicts that future generations will look back on the current policies with horror. Truax sees the current climate as one in which voters opposed to progressive gender policies feel increasingly empowered to speak out and vote their beliefs, crediting former President