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.”
🚨Winsome Earle-Sears Becomes Republican Nominee for Governor of Virginia🚨
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…
— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) April 5, 2025
Spanberger was declared the Democratic nominee after the deadline to make the ballot passed at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday.
“As the Democratic nominee for Governor of Virginia, I look forward to having many more meaningful conversations with all Virginians,” Spanberger said in a statement.
Meet your next Governor of Virginia! @SpanbergerForVA is officially our nominee, and we are fired up to knock on more doors, make more phone calls & have more conversations with our neighbors than ever before to elect her.
She’s the fighter Virginians need. Let’s do this 💪 pic.twitter.com/s0zVFrpfvW
— Virginia Democrats (@vademocrats) April 3, 2025
The victor of the race will emerge as the Old Dominion’s first female executive in state history. If Earle-Sears prevails, it would also make her the first black woman governor in the nation’s history.
The lieutenant governor narrowly avoided a primary from Chase, who touted herself as “Trump in heels,” and would have likely forced Earle-Sears into a costly and bruising battle.
Another potential GOP primary challenger, Dave LaRock, dropped out of the race before the Thursday deadline claiming that he could not meet the signature requirement.
🚨Governor Youngkin Jumping in Early to Designate His Successor Did Not Make it Easy But We Came Close and for That I am Truly Grateful🚨
My fellow Virginians:
It is with regret that I announce that, despite an enormous outpouring of volunteer effort and support which I… pic.twitter.com/22GRwA2tTc
— Dave LaRock For VA Governor (@DaveLaRockForVA) April 3, 2025
Earle-Sears has the backing of Youngkin, the commonwealth’s popular governor, and will likely have to run while toeing the line on embracing President Donald Trump, who never won Virginia in his three presidential campaigns.
Spanberger has slammed Trump and Virginia Republicans over the president’s recent reciprocal tariff announcement and efforts to slash the federal workforce.
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The Virginia gubernatorial race, along with New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, is one of the first bellwether races that will reveal the public’s judgment of Trump’s presidency. It’s often seen as a warning sign for the midterm elections that follow afterward.
The Virginia election will be held on Nov. 4, 2025.