In what could be a key 2025 bellwether, Virginia’s race for governor will also make history, all but guaranteeing the Commonwealth’s first female governor. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer, will face Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran, after both state parties confirmed their nominees in recent days.
One of the only competitive races of the year, the Virginia gubernatorial contest will be closely watched by both parties — and is often treated as a referendum on the president’s party. Historically, Virginia has voted for a governor of the opposite political party, every time a new president has been elected since 1977.
The race is already breaking state records for fundraising, with Earle-Sears raising more than $3 million from January to March and Spanberger raising around $6.7 million during the same period, according to the campaigns.
In an interview with “America Decides,” Spanberger told CBS News she believes national issues will weigh heavily on the race, from the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees, more than 144,000 of whom live in Virginia, as well as what she called an “antagonistic trade war.”
“All of this impacts Virginia, and the stakes of this election reflect that,” said Spanberger.
When asked whether Earle-Sears supports President Trump’s tariff policy, her campaign deflected but said in a statement, “After leftists like Joe Biden and Abigail Spanberger devastated our economy and standing in the world—President Trump is doing the work to put America first again.”
Earle-Sears has attacked Spanberger for her votes in Congress supporting Biden administration policies including the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022 with no Republican support. Earle-Sears argues it has contributed to inflation.
“I think it’s a ridiculous assertion given that my opponent has been eager to claim credit for some of the funding that came through some of those federal dollars to Virginia’s Commonwealth,” Spanberger told CBS News. “But, the reality is that my opponent is endeavoring to distract, because she’s not talking about the fact that we’ve seen an absolute tanking of the stock market because of Donald Trump’s actions.”
While the economy is a top issue for Virginians and both candidates, advocates are also hoping gun safety mobilizes voters.
Spanberger is set to receive the endorsement of Everytown for Gun Safety Thursday, the group first told CBS News. Everytown, established by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is also contributing $1 million to the race, which will include organizing efforts and political ads.
Spanberger herself became a volunteer for pro-gun control group Moms Demand Action after leaving the CIA.
“Abigail Spanberger understands that common-sense laws to keep guns out of dangerous hands are crucial to ensuring public safety,” John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said of the endorsement.
Everytown also points to their success at the state legislative level in 2023 when nine gun safety volunteers won races and helped flip the House of Delegates, the lower house of Virginia’s legislature, to Democratic control.
The group says internal polling from that year revealed it’s a top three issue for Virginia voters in battleground districts across Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.
Youngkin vetoed an assault weapons ban and other gun control bills that passed the state legislature last year.
He did sign two other gun measures, including one that bans auto sears, a device that converts semi-automatic handguns into automatic weapons. He also signed “Lucia’s Law,” making it a crime for parents who allow children deemed as threats to access firearms.
Earle-Sears has supported the governor’s vetoes.
In 2021, Earle-Sears became the first Black woman ever elected to statewide office in Virginia. She will have to appeal to moderates and independent voters in the blue-leaning state but has given mixed messages on her support for Mr. Trump in recent years.
In 2020, she co-chaired the group “Black Americans to re-elect President Trump,” but in 2022, following the midterms, she told FOX Business it was “time to move on.”
“A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” she said during the interview. “A true leader understands when it’s time to step off the stage.”
She went on to vote for Mr. Trump in 2024. A source close to the campaign says she sees the president as a federal partner. It remains to be seen if Mr. Trump offers Earle-Sears an endorsement given the high stakes of this year’s few marquee races.
While Mr. Trump made inroads in Virginia during the 2024 presidential election, the state comfortably went for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is barred from serving back-to-back terms, endorsed his Lt. Governor early in the race.
