March 10, 2025 Story by: Editor
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears has never shied away from tough political battles, and her pursuit of Virginia’s governorship is no different.
The Jamaican immigrant, Marine veteran, and devout Christian must first secure victory in the Republican primary this June, a challenge in a party now largely shaped by former President Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement. Should she advance, Earle-Sears will need to court moderate and independent voters in the November general election, as Democrats attempt to link her to Trump’s policies, which have left many Virginians apprehensive about their future.
Changes in Washington are already influencing voters in northern Virginia’s populous counties, where federal employment is a cornerstone of the local economy. Yet, Earle-Sears, known for defying expectations as a conservative in Virginia, remains resolute.
“Life is a fight,” she said in a recent interview, “and we shouldn’t be surprised by a fight.”
However, the road ahead is growing more complicated.
Initially, Earle-Sears faced only one minor GOP challenger, who had raised a mere $126 compared to her more than $2 million campaign fund. But the race took a turn when former state delegate Dave LaRock entered, vowing to streamline state government through a “Virginia Department of Government Efficiency,” drawing parallels to Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative in the Trump administration.
Shortly thereafter, former state Sen. Amanda Chase also joined the race. Whether LaRock or Chase can secure enough signatures to make the primary ballot before next month’s deadline remains uncertain.
Trump has yet to endorse a candidate, but Chase wasted no time emphasizing that Earle-Sears has previously kept her distance from the former president and his movement.
“Our current announced Republican nominee is a Never Trumper who has really never come out and embraced our President, President Donald J. Trump,” Chase stated in her campaign announcement.
She later reinforced her stance, saying, “We want a Trump candidate for governor.”
Earle-Sears’ campaign remains unfazed. “Challengers can enter the race, but the outcome will be the same” – victory, her campaign asserted in a statement.
Virginia Republicans may face historical headwinds this election cycle. Since 1977, whenever a new president has been elected, Virginia has consistently voted for a governor from the opposing party.
Trump, despite being championed by Earle-Sears’ rivals, has never won Virginia in any of his three presidential bids. State Democrats are leveraging voter resistance to Trump, attacking Earle-Sears for endorsing his administration’s spending cuts and accusing Republicans of supporting job reductions at the federal level.
Earle-Sears, however, positions herself as someone who has consistently overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.
As a Black Republican, she challenges stereotypes about party affiliation. While Virginia’s long history might cast doubt on the prospects of a Black woman holding statewide office, Earle-Sears defied expectations.
Displayed in her office are biblical verses alongside personal affirmations: “Come and do the impossible, Winsome. Come and endure the impossible, Winsome. Come and believe the impossible, Winsome.” Photographs of the first African American lawmakers elected to Virginia’s General Assembly during Reconstruction, along with an image of Coretta Scott King, line her office walls.
Earle-Sears’ unconventional political approach has occasionally yielded surprising victories. Early in her career, she unseated a 10-term Democratic incumbent in the House of Delegates while spending half the amount in a Democratic-leaning district. Nearly two decades later, in 2021, she became the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia.
She has faced setbacks as well. In 2004, she lost decisively to Democratic U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott. Her 2018 U.S. Senate write-in bid ended with less than 1% of the vote.
“It’s definitely the case that being a Black woman makes you a double minority, and being a Black Republican woman would make you a triple minority,” said Ernest McGowen, a political science professor at the University of Richmond. He added, “You may be able to bring a kind of life experience that maybe some in the party have not had. But you also have to confront some of the misconceptions and deep-seated notions that some members of your party may have.”
Virginia is one of two states electing a new governor this year and is home to a significant federal workforce. Trump’s policies will likely influence voter sentiment as he continues efforts to reduce or eliminate government agencies. Already, roughly 300 federal employees and 100 government contractors in Virginia applied for unemployment in the first three weeks of February, with those numbers expected to rise, according to the state’s labor secretary, George “Bryan” Slater.
Nevertheless, divisions persist within the Virginia Republican Party over allegiance to Trump.
LaRock attended the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021, though he maintains he did not partake in the violence at the Capitol. Chase, who brands herself as “Trump in heels,” was censured by the state Senate in 2021 after appearing to support individuals involved in the Jan. 6 riots.
Earle-Sears has kept some distance from Trump in recent years.
She previously co-chaired the “Black Americans to Re-elect President Trump” group in 2020. However, following the 2022 midterms, she deemed Trump a liability and suggested the party should move forward. In her 2023 memoir, she acknowledged Trump’s first-term policies but stated, “For the good of the nation, I do not think he should run again in 2024.” In August 2023, she confirmed she would vote for him, according to Lynchburg’s News and Advance.
Trump has not been supportive of Earle-Sears. In 2022, he criticized her on Truth Social, his social media platform, saying, “Never felt good about Winsome Sears. Always thought she was a phony. Now I find out she is.”
Earle-Sears remains steadfast.
“I’m a Christian, and so that’s where I go for guidance,” she said.
Source: AP News
