Spanberger defeats Earle-Sears in historic Virginia election

After highly contested races, it was a barrier-breaking Election Night for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In a historic race former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) defeated Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, becoming Virginia’s first woman elected as governor. Spanberger’s victory was declared less than 30 minutes after the polls closed, and she thanked her opponent for a hard-fought race.

“Thank you! Thank you all so much,” said the governor-elect during her election watch party in Richmond, after entering to cheers and lengthy applause. “My fellow Virginians, tonight we sent a message. We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship and chose our commonwealth over chaos.”

Further, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D- District 15) was elected lieutenant governor and was the first Muslim and Indian-American elected to statewide office in Virginia.

“It’s the people I meet in every corner of the commonwealth that inspire my work,” wrote Hashmi in a social media post on Election Day.

Even before the groundbreaking election on Nov. 4, many Virginians and leaders nationwide emphasized the significance of the election– particularly the gubernatorial race, which would have elected the first woman governor no matter the victor.

“It’s not just since the United States was in existence, it’s since Virginia’s been in existence. So add a couple hundred more years,” said Dr. John Augenbach, a political professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). “It wasn’t until we move into the 1970s and 80s that we actually got female candidates running for the position.”

For Angela Hudson, a Virginia Democrat, taking to the polls was critical to push toward national change.

“I’m here to vote in Virginia because I’m not happy about what’s going on in the White House right now, and if I don’t vote, there is no reason to complain,” Hudson told The Informer at an early voting site in Prince William County.

Spanberger’s Road to Victory

Spanberger is a moderate Democrat who had a bipartisan streak while serving in Congress. Her campaign focused on the cost of living, particularly on keeping medical costs affordable for Virginia families.

President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Earle-Sears, a Black woman, Jamaican immigrant and Marine Corps veteran who is most known for her opposition to LGBTQ+ issues. During an October gubernatorial debate, she stated that firing employees for their sexual or gender identity was “not discrimination.” She also advocated for tax cuts.

In January, the race was roughly tied, however in closing weeks Spanberger’s lead grew, with an October Emerson College poll showing the former congresswoman leading by double digits.

A late October poll by Virginia State University (VSU) showed African American voters overwhelmingly favoring Democratic candidates, including 94.9% support for Spanberger contrasted with 3.4% support for Earle-Sears.

“Black Virginians remain deeply loyal to the Democratic Party—but younger voters are signaling a desire to be seen and heard on their own terms,” said Dr. Wes Bellamy, chair of the VSU political science department. “That doesn’t mean they’re turning Republican; it means they’re evolving politically.”

National figures, including former President Barack Obama weighed in on the Virginia gubernatorial race, which often serves as an early bellwether of national political attitudes in the lead-up to the midterm elections.

“There is absolutely no evidence Republicans’ policies have made life better for you, the people of Virginia,” Obama said at the Spanberger campaign rally on Nov. 1. “They have devoted enormous energy trying to entrench themselves in power and punishing their enemies and enriching their friends and silencing their critics.”

Now that Spanberger is governor-elect, she says she will be a governor to prioritize Virginians’ needs and to represent all Virginians.

“Virginia, you deserve a governor who will put you first,” Spanberger, whose inauguration is set for Jan. 17, wrote on social media.

Hashimi and Jones Win Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General Races 

While Spanberger maintained a pretty steady lead on Earle-Sears, the other races appeared to be much closer leading up to the Nov. 4 election.

In the lieutenant governor’s race, Hashmi retained a narrow lead over talk show host John Reid, an openly gay conservative.

Hashmi advocates for proper funding of childcare and education to provide better opportunities while Reid emphasizes low taxes and deregulation as his strategy to grow Virginia’s economy. Reid has said he would vote against amending the Virginia Constitution to enshrine reproductive rights and same-sex marriage.

Recently, Reid was linked to social media accounts promoting Nazi imagery.

“I am truly appalled by the vile and disturbing content described in this article,” said Hashmi in an interview with WJLA7News. “This content and engagement with it reflect an appalling acceptance of hate and dehumanization,” said Hashmi in an interview with WJLA.

As an Indian-American and Muslim woman, she is breaking barriers and hoping to foster a world that embraces diversity.

“We all have a responsibility to call out racism and extremism when we see it,” she said, “not only to protect our communities, but to build a future rooted in compassion, equity, and shared humanity.”

The race between Del. Jay Jones (D) and incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) was the closest competition of the Virginia election, however the Democrat was victorious in the end.

Jones pledges to protect reproductive and voting rights, and keep illegal firearms off the streets.

Miyares, the first Latino to be elected statewide in Virginia, spotlighted his crime reduction record during his re-election campaign. He has also supported President Trump’s troop deployment in Los Angeles.

Black Virginians Share Significance of Voting, Hopes for the Future  

While the Nov. 4 election was historic no matter the victors of the evening, many Black Virginians emphasized why it was important to make their voices heard at the polls.

Gregory Gordon told The Informer voting matters a great deal to him, not just in this election, but always.

“People died for my rights, so I’m going to exercise my right to vote,” said Gordon, who voted early in Prince William County.

Having learned about the importance of democracy from her grandmother, who was involved in the Civil Rights Movement, Hudson, a Virginia Democrat, encouraged young people to be active in democracy so their opinions can be heard.

“Go and vote for who you think is the most qualified,” she said, before, like Gordon, considering her grandmother and other freedom fighters. “My grandmother instilled in us that it was very important to vote as our ancestors died for this right.”

While the contributions of their forefathers and foremothers led Gordon and Hudson to the polls, Margie Oden said she exercised her civic duty out of concern for future generations.

“The things that benefit us are being taken away, and I’m saddened about that,” Ogden told The Informer on Nov. 1, the day early voting closed in Virginia. “America is meant to be for everyone, not a dictatorship. America is for us all.”