After three years, a historic primary, and millions of dollars in campaign money raised, a new governor of our Commonwealth is on the horizon. For the first time ever, Virginia will have a woman in the governor’s seat, as Winsome Earle-Sears represents the Republican party and Abigail Spanberger represents the Democratic party.
Current lieutenant governor, and former Vice President of the Virginia Board of Education, Winsome Earle-Sears was the state’s first Black female elected to state office. Immigrating from Kingston, Jamaica, at the age of six, she has slowly worked her way up the political ladder, starting as an electrician in the Marine Corps before running for a spot in the Virginia House of Delegates, where she won in an upset. Winning the nomination in 2021, she became Lieutenant Governor, once again moving up the political ladder. Earle-Sears has now made her way to become the primary Republican incumbent for governor of Virginia.
With Virginia being only one of seventeen states to elect separate lieutenant governors, Republican Radio host and nominee John Reid has a chance of winning regardless of the governor’s elected party. The same can be said for Democratic Lieutenant Governor nominee Ghazala Hashmi. Along with these positions, Republican nominee Jason Miyares and Democratic nominee Jay Jones are in the running for Attorney General.
While both Earle-Sears and Spanberger are running heavily on programs that will reduce the cost of living, their solutions contradict each other. For Earle-Sears, a lower cost of living means cutting back on government spending, and outright pulling the plug on certain taxes, such as The Vehicle Tax. For Spanberger, an affordable Virginia, looks at cutting out data centers and finding other ways to lower bills without cutting them.
Serving as an operations officer in the CIA and formerly a Virginia congressional representative, Abigail Spanberger won the Democratic nomination for governor in April. Ever since, she has been running on the policy of strengthening education.
For Spanberger, combating a teacher shortage, addressing the rising costs of college, and increasing support in workforce training programs are the first steps in giving Virginia a better education. Earle-Sears shares similar goals, with an emphasis on the development of charter schools and more choice in public schools for parents.
Looking to continue former Governor Youngkin’s policy, Earle-Sears’ plan to fight crime is targeted at Virginia’s “catch and release” immigration laws. While these programs have long been targeted, Earle-Sears hopes to crack down on these with an increase in law enforcement.
For those who are 18 or older by October 23, the registration process is quite simple. The Department of Elections has an online form available for all US citizens to fill out. Even if you’ll still be 17 or younger by the next election, as long as you have either a Social Security number or a driver’s licence, you can register. Each state has a website on how voters can find their local polling station. The date for this historic election is officially set for November 4, later this year.
