Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
Episode: Govs.-Elect Sherrill & Spanberger: From the Hill to the State House
Release Date: November 20, 2025
Host: Jon Stewart
Guests: Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (NJ), Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger (VA)

Episode Overview

In this candid, insightful episode, Jon Stewart sits down with Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, the recently elected Democratic governors of New Jersey and Virginia, respectively. The conversation traces their parallel journeys from national security careers to Congress to their latest executive victories. They reflect on the frustrations and inertia of Congress, the intricacies of state-level governing, overcoming negative campaigning, and the challenges blue states face under the Trump administration. With warmth and humor, the discussion highlights both policy substance and personal connection, offering rare authenticity in political discourse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Parallel Paths: From Service to Statehouse

• First Female and Barrier-Breaking Governance

  • Sherrill is only NJ’s second female governor and the first woman veteran to become governor in the US.
    • “I think that her Excellency might be solely in Virginia. ...the first woman veteran ever elected as governor in the United States, so really exciting.” – Mikie Sherrill [03:38]
  • Spanberger is “Her Excellency,” the first woman to hold the role in Virginia’s history.

• Intertwined Stories and Roommate Years

  • Both ran in 2018, bonded as women with national security backgrounds, and even “fake roommated” before sharing an apartment in DC.
  • A funny moment: Mikie’s sister was Spanberger’s constituent and campaign volunteer.
  • “We would just go down there and get beaten to hell. ...there’d be no food in the house... pickles and peanut butter and nuts...” – Mikie Sherrill [09:46]

2. Culture Shock: Transitioning to Congress

• From Mission-Driven to Dysfunction

  • Both came from backgrounds valuing order, chain of command, and results.
  • “You’re used to mission... you’re used to chain of command. ...What was it like learning the sorts of, ‘this is how we do it down here’, and thinking... well, that’s not how they should do it anywhere?” – Jon Stewart [12:23]

• Institutional Inertia and ‘Messaging vs. Delivering’

  • Frustration with leadership’s resistance to change and preference for ‘messaging bills’ over real solutions.
  • “Nobody in my district wants a message. They want flood prevention, that kind of thing.” – Mikie Sherrill [13:37]
  • Spanberger describes the years-long effort to pass a widely-supported fix to Social Security penalties for public servants:
    • “We did a discharge petition because we couldn’t get leadership to bring it [to a vote]... And we got it through. ...It was last bill signing that President Biden did before he left. And it’s, I mean, changed lives everywhere across Virginia.” – Abigail Spanberger [21:05]

3. The Congressional ‘Play’: Cynicism and Workarounds

• Theatrics vs. Substance
  • Jon Stewart underscores how congressional delay and drama often masks broad consensus.
    • “You had the ability to do this whenever you wanted to... It took 30 seconds. ...Are we just putting on a play down here?” – Jon Stewart [31:46]
  • Sherrill: The realization led her to run for governor instead.
  • Spanberger and Chip Roy—odd political pair—joined to author a congressional stock trading ban, building bipartisan momentum by appealing to public desire for governmental trust.

4. Campaign Life: Attack Ads, Family & Resilience

• Personal Impact of Negative Campaigns

  • Early attack ads, including one calling Spanberger a terrorist, had real family effects (“My oldest daughter... said that kids on the playground... ask, like, ‘Is your mom a terrorist?’” – [38:02]). Both women now take such attacks in stride.
  • Sherrill on misleading soundbites: “But you can’t, you know, if you’re explaining, you’re losing. So I wasn’t going to put a million dollars of me direct to camera saying, that wasn’t actually what I was saying.” [42:25]

• The Real Keys to Winning

  • Despite national narratives, on-the-ground organizing, field staff, and showing up matter more than TV ads.
    • “People want to have a sense of who you are as a person... and some of that comes from television ads, ...but they also want to feel, like, invited into a campaign.” – Abigail Spanberger [44:02]
  • Positive, “bio” ads and authentic engagement are crucial.
    • “It’s about having that engagement... making it so nobody could go anywhere without kind of hearing my name or knowing a little bit about what it is that I might be for.” – [47:28]

5. Washington vs. the States: Governing Power and Frustration

• State Executive Power: ‘You Can Actually Get Things Done’

  • Stewart notes NJ’s governor wields more authority than counterparts in many other states.
    • “New Jersey has a very different prescription for even what the budget can be. The New Jersey governor is very powerful...” [51:32]
  • Spanberger: Virginia’s one-term limit and complex budget cycle create unique challenges.

• Federal Retaliation Against Blue States

  • Both cite how Trump’s administration is slashing funding for blue states—transportation, healthcare (especially Medicaid, rural hospitals), education—and using it as leverage.
  • “At every level, the federal government is failing to run programs that they are on the hook for traditionally.” – Mikie Sherrill [54:16]
  • Virginia’s rural hospitals are particularly endangered due to federal definitions crafted to win an Alaskan senator’s vote.

• What Can States Do?

  • Potential legal challenges, “multi-state compacts,” and even the (tongue-in-cheek) idea of a “federal tax strike.”
  • “If they’re not going to run the programs, then what are we paying them for?” – Mikie Sherrill [65:15]
  • Stewart: “Maybe states need to start bribing him. Seems to be the most... I see they both just get real sad.” [65:04]

6. Current Republican Party & The Future

• Corruption, Kleptocracy, and the Stakes

  • Sherrill points to transactional, self-enriching Trump administration actions: “It is this totally kleptocratic, corrupt administration.” [63:41]
  • Spanberger on the refusal of some leaders to defend their states’ interests: “Abdication of responsibility.” [69:32]

• A Call to Effective Democratic Governance

  • Sherrill: Best way to help the party is to govern effectively, deliver for people.
  • “We need to govern...that is the very best thing I can do in this position.” [49:16]

• Contrast with National Media Narratives

  • Both reject the manufactured drama of “left vs center” frame (“Is it you or is it Mamdani?”) as disconnected from what actual voters care about.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You know, this is like one of those... Lincoln had a secretary named Kennedy, and Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln.” – Jon Stewart [04:17]

• “Was it nerve-wracking to ask Abigail to be your roommate?” – Jon Stewart [09:36]

  • “No... I think our families feel like it was like this. They all seem to think that going to Washington was this sort of sorority type situation...” – Mikie Sherrill [09:46]

• “If we don’t deliver...nobody in my district wants a message. They want flood prevention.” – Mikie Sherrill [13:37]

• “The ads didn’t really bother me...I’d watch an ad first with no sound on...to see how spooky I look.” – Abigail Spanberger [38:02]

• “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.” – Mikie Sherrill [42:05]

• “Everything you heard was, is the Democratic party Mamdani and socialism? Or is it Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger and the national security mom? ...on the ground, it’s none of that shit.” – Jon Stewart [48:13]

• “I actually think it’s a lack of understanding of the basic of economics of how the federal government interplays.” – Abigail Spanberger [61:17]

• “That’s the most exciting thing I saw, was that hey, everybody is ready to tackle hard problems...” – Mikie Sherrill [56:11]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:28] – “Her Excellency”: The historic wins & barrier breaking.
• [06:42] – 2018 elections, first meeting, and shared backgrounds.
• [08:33] – How Congress freshman pick roommates (and Animal House fridge tales).
• [12:17] – Military/security backgrounds vs. dysfunction in Congress.
• [18:25] – Spanberger’s Social Security fight for retirees.
• [22:26] – Congressional “play”: drama vs. reality; why Sherrill ran for governor.
• [37:19] – How attack ads impacted their families and coping strategies.
• [44:02] – Field orgs & personal connection: key to campaign wins.
• [51:32] – Gubernatorial powers differ: executive tools in NJ & VA.
• [53:23] – Fighting federal cuts, corruption, and the New Jersey/blue state squeeze.
• [58:39] – Coordinating blue state response, multi-state compacts, legal action.
• [61:17] – Spanberger: It’s ignorance, not mere punishment, driving harmful policy.
• [63:41] – Sherrill: Trump’s “kleptocratic, corrupt administration.”
• [69:32] – State leaders’ cowardice, and federal interference in state affairs.

Original Tone: Humor, Frustration, & Camaraderie

The conversation blends Stewart’s trademark sarcasm and irreverence with the guests’ candid, sometimes self-deprecating humor. There’s warmth between Mikie and Abigail as roommates and mutual supporters—and frankness about the absurdities and constraints of political institutions. Throughout, the mood balances personal anecdotes with real policy substance, illuminating the human side of political work.

Closing Reflection

Jon Stewart wraps with appreciation for the guests and a note that their executive roles now better match their abilities:
“You both now seem to be in situations where the job is commensurate with your abilities...where you can really start to accomplish the things that I think got you into public service in the first place.” [70:41]

For listeners, this episode offers an inside view of modern political leadership, how real change is made (or blocked), and a hopeful reminder that authenticity and public service aren’t dead—even when a system tries its best to grind them down.