Virginia is gearing up for several statewide and legislative races this November in what will be the first major election since 2024. Voters will head to the polls to select Virginia’s next Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. They’ll also be voting for their state representatives and several local offices.
These elections will be important not only because they decide who controls Virginia’s government for the next four years but also because they serve as a bellwether for how the nation is feeling going into the midterm elections in 2026. Four years ago, Virginia voted for Republican Glenn Youngkin in an upset election that foreshadowed future Republican gains in 2022 and 2024.
This year Glenn Youngkin is term-limited, meaning we’ll have brand new candidates on both the Democratic and Republican sides for the governor race. The two parties will choose their candidates in primary elections set to be held on June 17.
Currently, the Democratic primary race has been dominated by former congresswoman and CIA officer Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger rose to fame in 2018 when she flipped a Republican-leaning district centered on the Richmond suburbs. Since then, her district has been redrawn to include large portions of Northern Virginia in Prince William and Stafford counties. Spanberger has consistently won races in both of these competitive districts gaining her significant name recognition in two of the state’s biggest population centers. Spanberger was previously facing some competition from Richmond mayor Levar Stoney; he has since dropped out of the race. In a conversation with the Greater Williamsburg Chamber of Commerce, Spanberger outlined some of the reasons she decided to run saying, “I got to thinking, if I want to have an urgency of impact, on things I care about most — which is kids, education and the stability of our communities — I think I want to run at the state level.”
The Republican primary race is more contested than the Democratic one, but current lieutenant governor Winsome Earl-Sears is still considered the frontrunner. Sears is a former Marine Corps veteran who also served in the Virginia House of Delegates. She made history four years ago as the first woman of color to be elected to a statewide office in Virginia. Both Spanberger and Sears would be the first woman to hold the office of Governor in Virginia. Sears would also be the first woman of color to hold that position.
Sears has tried her best to separate herself from the more MAGA wing of the Republican party. She is attempting to follow the same strategy Glenn Youngkin used by distancing herself from Trump to win over moderates while not losing the support of the Republican base. However, she has already provoked Trump’s anger in the past. In 2023, Sears opposed Trump’s bid for a second term saying, “For the good of the nation, I do not think he should run again in 2024.” Trump has also expressed disdain for Sears, saying in a Truth Social post, “Never felt good about Winsome Sears. Always thought she was a phony. Now I find out she is.” These past statements could become a problem for Sears as she is now challenged by several more right-wing candidates in the primary.
Sears is facing opposition from fellow Republican Amanda Chase. Chase is a former state senator who ran for governor in 2021. She is considered a staunch member of the Trump wing of the party and has long protested the method by which Glenn Youngkin was selected to become the previous Republican nominee. In 2021, the party decided not to hold a primary and instead held a convention where party members selected Glenn Youngkin. Amanda Chase was leading in almost every poll before this decision and claimed that the party was being unfair to her. Sears is also facing opposition from state delegate Dave LaRock, who was present at the January 6th riots and has said Virginia needs its own state-level DOGE agency.
In addition to the statewide elections, all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates will be up for election this year. The House of Delegates is only split 51-49 in favor of the Democrats. This means both parties will be competing hard to win seats and gain control of the chamber. West Potomac is currently located in the 16th district and is represented by Paul Krizek.
