RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia voters are deciding a history-making race for governor Tuesday that will serve as a barometer of attitudes toward President Donald Trump and Democrats’ attempts to regain their footing on the national stage.
Earle-Sears also would make history as the first Black woman elected governor in any state.
It comes as the state Trump lost in three successive presidential contests has been strained by many of his policies, particularly the steep cuts to the civil service and the ongoing government shutdown.
For Democrats, Spanberger will signal whether the same center-left approach that worked across the country in the 2018 midterms is the answer in 2026, when the party’s energy has been focused on its progressive base.
Trump has offered only tepid support for Earle-Sears, who three years ago said she wouldn’t back Trump’s return to the White House before recanting.
Richmond, Virginia. (AP) — On Tuesday, Virginia voters will make history in a gubernatorial contest that will indicate how they feel about President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party’s efforts to regain their national prominence.
In the race to become the first woman to lead the commonwealth are Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a center-left Democrat and former CIA case officer who assisted her party in gaining a House majority during Trump’s first presidency, and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, a fervent conservative who is Virginia’s lieutenant governor. As the first elected Black woman governor of any state, Earle-Sears would also go down in history.
Republican governor with a term limit is up for election. As a test ground for both parties a year before the national midterm elections that could change the direction of the nation for the remainder of Trump’s second term, Glenn Youngkin has assumed national dimensions from the beginning. It comes as many of Trump’s policies, especially the severe cuts to the civil service and the ongoing government shutdown, have caused stress in the state where he lost three consecutive presidential elections.
Earle-Sears will demonstrate to Republicans whether a candidate in the general style of Trump, albeit one who does not have his fervent backing, can prevail in a battleground state. In 2026, when the Democratic Party’s focus has been on its progressive base, Spanberger will indicate whether the same center-left strategy that carried the nation in the 2018 midterm elections is the solution.
On her last campaign swing before Election Day, Spanberger stated, “This election is an opportunity with the political turmoil coming out of Washington right now.”. Given the carelessness and callousness emanating from Washington, Virginia voters have the ability and will to send a message. “”.
Republicans are equally concerned about the outcome. “The darkness is represented by Abigail Spanberger,” Earle-Sears said to supporters last weekend.
Spanberger has attempted to capitalize on voter concerns regarding the cost of living and the effects of Trump’s domestic policies and tax cut law on Virginia’s health care system since she resigned her congressional seat to run for governor. Despite spending millions on digital and television advertisements linking Earle-Sears to the president, she avoided the Democrats’ unconvincing 2024 dire warnings about democracy.
Earle-Sears, who three years ago stated she would not support Trump’s return to the White House before reversing her position, has received only mediocre support from Trump. Her name was not mentioned during the president’s one and only telephone town hall with her supporters on Monday night, nor did he personally campaign for her.
At her inauguration rally on Saturday night, where Youngkin provided the star power in place of the president, the lieutenant governor, however, did not mention Trump despite giving him high marks overall for his performance.
Earle-Sears attempted to mimic Trump’s criticism of Democrats on cultural issues, such as transgender athletes, but she kept her career-long opposition to abortion rights to herself. This allowed Spanberger to highlight her support for abortion rights in the last Southern state to not restrict or outlaw the procedure since the U.S. A. A nationwide right to abortion services was overturned by the Supreme Court.
In addition, Earle-Sears aimed to exert pressure on Spanberger for continuing to support Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones, who earlier this fall was urged to withdraw from the race after it was revealed that he had sent text messages in 2022 suggesting the former Republican House speaker “get two bullets to the head.”. “”.
The election is scheduled for Tuesday, along with the race to succeed Earle-Sears as lieutenant governor and all 100 seats in the state’s Democratic-controlled House of Delegates. The state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats, will be up for election in 2027.
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