Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: WINSOME EARLE-SEARS

Earle-Sears is a woman of firsts: the first Black woman and immigrant to hold statewide office in Virginia and the commonwealth’s first female lieutenant governor, serving as president of the state Senate and occasionally casting tiebreaking votes. This year, she seeks to be Virginia’s first female governor as the Republican nominee.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former state delegate, the Jamaican-born Earle-Sears took an unusual path to the Virginia State Capitol in a career that has included owning an appliance, plumbing and electrical company and managing a homeless shelter. In addition to her support for gun rights, she has been a vocal advocate for school choice programs, including taxpayer-funded educational savings accounts and charter schools.

Earle-Sears has criticized President Donald Trump in the past, but as a gubernatorial candidate, she has vocally supported him. She also has tracked to the right of Gov. Glenn Youngkin on some social issues, opposing abortion after six weeks and guaranteed access to contraceptives. Facing lagging polling and fundraising, Earle-Sears swapped campaign managers this summer in her race against Democrat Abigail Spanberger. She also pivoted her campaign to focus more on the military and veterans.

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