Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is the first Republican to officially enter the race for the party’s nomination in 2025.
“I never really thought of being lieutenant governor in the first place,” Earle-Sears told WTOP, as she reflected on her decision to run for governor.
She was endorsed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who called her an “outspoken advocate for common sense conservative principles and policies, a passionate voice for our military and veterans and a relentless advocate for educational freedom and economic opportunity.”
If she were to become governor, she would be the first woman to lead Virginia and the first Black woman to serve as governor anywhere in the country.
‘It’s what is best for Virginia’: Why is she running?
Youngkin cannot run for reelection because Virginia is the only state that doesn’t allow governors to run for consecutive terms.
Earle-Sears was part of a Republican sweep of top offices in 2021 that also saw Youngkin get elected.
“After you’ve been out of politics and you’re on the sidelines … you realize you can either complain or you can get in the arena and fight,” Earle-Sears said during an interview with WTOP.
A Marine veteran who immigrated to the U.S. from Jamaica as a child, Earle-Sears got her start in elected office in 2001 when she stunned both parties by defeating a 10-term Democrat in an overwhelmingly blue district to become the first Black Republican woman elected to the House of Delegates.
She served just one term before deciding not to seek reelection.
Earle-Sears said the pandemic and the impact it had on society played a significant role in her desire to get back into politics.
“Remember where we were: schools were closed, we were wearing masks everywhere. I saw people wearing masks by themselves in their cars because our government put such fear in us. It’s crazy … businesses were leaving and closing,” said Earle-Sears.
She said voters “wanted common sense to come back.”
“That’s why I decided it’s time to jump back in … and here we are running for governor now,” Earle-Sears said.
Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares recently announced that he would seek reelection next year, dispelling speculation that he might run for governor in a primary against Earle-Sears.
When asked whether the two had debated and brokered a deal behind closed doors to determine which of them should run for governor, Earle-Sears said that did not happen.
“There was not any negotiation,” she said. “It’s about what is best for Virginia.”
When Earle-Sears won her election for lieutenant governor, she became the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia history.
“The attorney general is doing a fine job, I would say, an excellent job,” Earle-Sears added.
‘Our economy flourished’: What are her priorities?
Earle-Sears said her priorities for her upcoming campaign will include spurring job creation, economic development and improving morale of law enforcement.
Delivering tax relief to Virginians is also top of mind for her, and is something she has focused on in the current Youngkin administration.
“We’re talking about billions of dollars that we returned to you, the Virginians, so that you can spend your money or do whatever it is you’d like to do with it,” Earle-Sears said. “We’re going to continue that because that’s part of the reason why our economy flourished.”
While Earle-Sears is the likely Republican nominee, Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the likely Democratic nominee, and the two have polar opposite views when it comes to abortion.
For example, Spanberger supports a proposed amendment being considered by state lawmakers that seeks to codify abortion rights in the Virginia constitution.
Earle-Sears, a staunch conservative who speaks frequently about her Christian faith, is firmly against abortion.
“Does Abigail have a limit, or is it that you can have an abortion right up until the time the baby could be born?” Earle-Sears asked. “That’s what I would like to know from her.”
In an interview with WTOP, Spanberger pointed to states that have enacted strict limits on abortion.
“The reality is that we have seen women’s lives threatened, we have seen women die, and I will not allow that to be the case in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Spanberger said.
Before the campaign begins in earnest, however, the Virginia legislative session gets underway in January.
During that time, Earle-Sears will be busy with her “day job,” as she put it, as part of her responsibility as lieutenant governor is to preside over the Senate.
“That’s what I’m really focused on now, getting the rules back in place and putting forward legislation that we think will be helpful to Virginians,” said Earle-Sears. “After session, then it’s full steam ahead.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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