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LOADINGERROR LOADING Democrat Abigail Spanberger is projected to win the Virginia gubernatorial race and become the first female governor of the state, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger, who served as a U.S. House representative for Virginia’s 7th District from 2019 until 2025, focused her campaign on affordable housing, health care, and groceries as prices skyrocketed. Advertisement “Virginia, my focus is clear,” she said in a Facebook post last week. “As your next Governor, I’ll get to work on Day One to lower costs across the Commonwealth.” Spanberger racked up high-profile endorsements, including from former President Barack Obama. “In three days, we have a chance to elect a leader who will help build a better, stronger, brighter future for Virginia,” Obama told the crowd at a Spanberger rally in the Hampton Roads area in the days leading up to the campaign. “And Lord knows, we need that light.” Earle-Sears had the advantage of being the second-in-command in Virginia but couldn’t translate that into success. The Republican relied heavily on stale culture war messaging. The Earle-Sears campaign ran anti-trans ads that called Spanberger a “radical” and accused her of being for “they/them” — an ad that was nearly identical to one Donald Trump used against Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential elections. Advertisement Polling, however, showed that Virginia voters were more concerned with the affordability of housing and health care. Earle-Sears, who once suggested the Republican Party move on from Trump, didn’t land an endorsement from the president, even though he weighed in on another Virginia race. He called for Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, to step aside. Jones was mired in scandal after violent text messages he sent about former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family came to light. Spanberger led in the polls for months and was the favorite to win the election but the race had some remarkable moments, including at the sole debate between the gubernatorial candidates. Earle-Sears claimed firing an employee for their sexual orientation was not discrimination and Spanberger refused to answer Earle-Sears’ questions about Jones. Advertisement Earle-Sears, a Black woman and Jamaican immigrant, has also been the target of racism. At an Arlington County school board meeting, the candidate signed up to speak out against the school system’s policies for transgender students. A demonstrator outside the venue brought a sign that read, “Hey Winsome. If trans can’t share your bathroom, then Blacks can’t share my water fountain.” Both campaigns condemned the language used in the sign. ReportingWhat'sReal Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Your SupportFuelsOur Mission Join HuffPost Today This Election Day we’re cutting through the noise. With no billionaire influence or angles, we’re here to inform voters and help you make sense of the election day chaos. By becoming a member you help power this mission. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves. Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again. Support HuffPost Already a member? Log in to hide these messages. Virginia is considered a bellwether state, with its off-year elections often predicting how national elections will go. Spanberger’s victory could spell trouble for Trump and Republicans in next year’s midterm elections. As Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington told local news station WTOP, “You want the bragging rights of having a good year in Virginia in year one of a presidential term, to give you a sense of inevitability of gains during year two — the midterm congressional elections.”
