Virginia will elect its first female governor tonight, in a race between Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Republicans were hopeful that the party’s momentum from the 2024 election, which brought President Donald Trump back to the White House, would help elevate Earle-Sears’s campaign, which consistently lagged behind Spanberger’s.
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Trump never ended up endorsing Earle-Sears, though he often quipped that Virginia voters should vote for the Republicans on the ballot.
Further down the ballot, Republican John Reid is facing off against Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi for lieutenant governor. Reid, the first openly gay candidate to run for statewide office in Virginia, is best known as the host of the conservative WRVA Morning Show in Richmond.
Hashmi would be Virginia’s first Asian-American and Muslim statewide officeholder if elected.
The Virginia attorney general race has garnered lots of conversation, after it was revealed that Democratic candidate Jay Jones sent texts calling for violence against the top Republican in the state House. Incumbent Republican Jason Miyares has been calling on Democratic voters to split their ticket, rather than vote for Spanberger and Jones. He promised to compromise with elected officials from a different party than his.
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There are also 10 state-level elections considered competitive in Virginia, and they can flip control of the House of Delegates, which is currently held by Democrats 51-48.
Districts 97, 89, 86, 92, 75, 71, 65, 57, 22, and 21 are considered competitive. Democrats currently hold three out of the 10 seats, Republicans hold six, and one is open.
TEN COMPETITIVE RACES TO TRACK FOR VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES IN 2025 ELECTION
Keep track of the latest updates from the Washington Examiner here.
