CANDIDATE WATCH: One of these two women will be Virginia’s next governor

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From the Washington Examiner: The battle to succeed outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) is set.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears will compete against former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger to become the next Virginia governor.

The Republican Party of Virginia declared Earle-Sears the nominee Saturday afternoon after former state Sen. Amanda Chase failed to qualify for the June primary ballot by submitting 10,000 valid signatures.

“I am deeply grateful for the support of the tens of thousands of Virginians who worked to earn our campaign’s place on the ballot this fall,” Earle-Sears said in a statement. “The stakes in this race couldn’t be higher – we must continue our work to protect the Commonwealth from radical changes that would undo the progress we’ve made in restoring prosperity to Virginia.”

Virginia’s current Governor, Glenn Youngkin, is not able to run for re-election, as the state law does not allow a governor to serve two consecutive terms.

Youngkin has endorsed Earle-Sears, who has served alongside him since they both won leadership of the state in the 2021 election. The election is scheduled for November 4, 2025.

“Winsome Earle-Sears is the American Dream. Her lifetime of service to God, Family, Country and Commonwealth has prepared her to take the Governor’s mansion this fall and keep Virginia winning. Proud of my good friend and amazing partner @winwithwinsome for officially securing the Republican nomination. Let’s get to work!” Youngkin wrote on Saturday.

Earle-Sears, 61, is a U.S. Marine Corp veteran. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica and immigrated to the U.S. with her family when she was 6 years old. She grew up in the Bronx, New York.

Earle-Sears served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004, and also served on the Virginia Board of Education. She became Virginia’s first female lieutenant governor in January 2022. Previously a Democrat, she switched to the Republican Party in 1988, and has remained with the GOP ever since.

Below is the campaign video Earle-Sears released in September.

The Virginia GOP released the following statement:

The Republican Party of Virginia congratulates Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears on becoming the Republican nominee for Governor of Virginia. As the sole candidate to qualify for the Republican primary ballot on June 17th, Sears will be the Republican Party’s nominee for Governor on the November 4th ballot.

Over the past four years, Lt. Gov. Sears has been a fierce advocate for Virginians’ individual liberties and worked hard to put money back into the pockets of Virginia families. She has fought tirelessly for those affected by the fentanyl crisis and has championed education initiatives to help our students and their families. Her steadfast fight for parents’ rights has led to major reforms in our Commonwealth.

She has also been an unwavering partner of Governor Glenn Youngkin in countless initiatives that have made Virginia a safer and more prosperous place to live, work, and raise a family. Republicans across Virginia are excited to start campaigning this weekend for Lt. Gov. Sears, and the Republican Party of Virginia urges all grassroots activists to hit the campaign trail today to help elect her as the 75th Governor of Virginia.

Winsome Sears will be a governor for all Virginians, and the Republican Party of Virginia congratulates her on becoming our nominee.

You can find out more information about Winsome’s campaign here: https://winsomeforgovernor.com

The Virginia Democrat Party announced Thursday that their nominee will be former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, 45, who served in the U.S. Congress from January 2019 to January 2025.

In the early 2000s, Spanberger worked as a substitute teacher at the Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia, teaching English literature. She was an operations officer for the Central Intelligence Agency from 2006-2014.

Spanberger reportedly does not support any restrictions on abortions, and has called climate change “one of the greatest and most imminent threats to our economy, our national security, and our way of life.” In February 2023, she signed a letter calling for Joe Biden to give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Spanberger objected to President Trump’s travel ban on certain Muslim countries, opposed the border wall, and has called for a pathway to legal status for illegal aliens who “abide by the laws, work and pay taxes.”

Spanberger has been blasting President Trump and Elon Musk over DOGE’s efforts to eliminate wasteful government spending, fraud and abuse.

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