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When Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin rose to power by winning the 2021 race for governor, Republicans had not won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.
His victory was a huge success for the party, with voters also choosing Republican Winsome Earle-Sears for lieutenant governor and Republican Jason Miyares for attorney general.
Soon, however, they might be fighting with each other, after Earle-Sears announced Thursday that she would be seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia governor next year.
“I could have never believed growing up that I could be asking Virginians for their faith and confidence in me to serve them as governor of our great Commonwealth,” Earle-Sears said in the announcement.
WRIC was first to report that the Virginia Department of Elections accepted the necessary documents from Earle-Sears to run for governor on Wednesday.
If she wins next year, Earle-Sears, currently the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, would make history as the first woman to lead Virginia and the first Black woman to serve as governor in the country.
“This answers one of two questions that people in Virginia Republican circles wanted to know,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political-science professor with the University of Mary Washington. “The other question is whether Miyares is going to seek the Republican nomination as well or consider other options.”
Attorney General Miyares has long been considered a likely candidate for governor.
Responding to the announcement by Earle-Sears, Miyares avoided speaking directly about her.
“My focus right now is on November 2024 and electing as many Republicans in Virginia as we can,” Miyares said in a statement. “We all need to be focused on this November’s elections before even thinking about next year.”
Youngkin cannot run in 2025, as Virginia governors are not allowed to serve consecutive terms.
Farnsworth described both Miyares and Earle-Sears as being “conservatives by every stretch of the meaning of the word.” Their styles are different, though, he added.
Farnsworth called Earle-Sears a “vigorous, visible, Republican conservative” who has a “Trump-like style.”
“Miyares is a bit less front-and-center is his political efforts, and that may be less noticed among Republican activists in the age of Trump,” he said.
The front-runner on the Democratic side is also a woman — Rep. Abigail Spanberger. She is the only Democratic candidate to announce a 2025 run for governor so far.
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