Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, the Lt. Governor of Virginia who is running for governor of the state, announced in a social media post Thursday afternoon that her campaign bus just caught fire.
This comes just five days ahead Election Day in Virginia. Earl-Sears is running in the hotly-contested race for governor against Democrat Abigail Spanberger.
Earle-Sears announced just after noon Thursday, “While en-route to an event, our campaign bus caught fire. Everyone is safe. Thank you to the first responders who got to the scene quickly — we are so grateful for you.”
While en-route to an event, our campaign bus caught fire.
Everyone is safe.
Thank you to the first responders who got to the scene quickly — we are so grateful for you.
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 30, 2025
Spanberger reacted, writing in a post on X, “I’m relieved to hear @winwithwinsome
and her team are safe after her campaign bus caught on fire this afternoon. I’m grateful to our first responders for their quick action — and I’m thinking of the Lt. Governor and her team after this scary incident.”
I’m relieved to hear @winwithwinsome and her team are safe after her campaign bus caught on fire this afternoon.
I’m grateful to our first responders for their quick action — and I’m thinking of the Lt. Governor and her team after this scary incident.
— Abigail Spanberger (@SpanbergerForVA) October 30, 2025
Jay Jones, the Democrat running for attorney general in Virginia who has faced massive backlash over his past vile comments threatening death to a Republican state lawmaker, seized the moment.
“I am relieved that no one was hurt in the fire on Lt. Governor Earle-Sears’ campaign bus today. Hoping everyone is staying safe and taking care after such a frightening experience,” Jones wrote.
I am relieved that no one was hurt in the fire on Lt. Governor Earle-Sears’ campaign bus today. Hoping everyone is staying safe and taking care after such a frightening experience.
— Jay Jones (@jonesjay) October 30, 2025
CBS19 News out of Charlottesville shared a photo a viewer sent in, showing the rear of the bus completely engulfed in flames.
The campaign bus of Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears caught fire on Route 33 today. Earle-Sears was not aboard at the time. pic.twitter.com/Ts197ySQXk
— CBS19 News: Charlottesville News First (@CBS19News) October 30, 2025
Washington Examiner reporter Samantha-Jo Roth shared a photo of the burned bus and wrote, “Campaign tells me everyone inside was okay and none of the candidates or their spouses were traveling inside it when it happened.”
.@winwithwinsome bus caught on fire. Campaign tells me everyone inside was okay and none of the candidates or their spouses were traveling inside it when it happened. pic.twitter.com/2h5RLYgMxA
— Samantha-Jo Roth (@SamanthaJoRoth) October 30, 2025
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