Virginia’s Winsome Earle-Sears could become first Black woman governor in U.S. history

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears has filed paperwork to be Virginia’s next governor.

Why it matters: She’s the first Republican to enter the race.

Driving the news: The Virginia Department of Elections accepted the paperwork, first reported by WRIC, on Wednesday.

  • This clears the path for Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran who emigrated from Jamaica as a kid, to launch her campaign.

The big picture: With Mayor Stoney dropping out earlier this year, the 2025 matchup for Virginia governor so far is Earle-Sears against Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who announced a run last November.

  • That sets up this race to be historic, since Virginia has never had a woman as governor.
  • If Earle-Sears won, she would be the nation’s first Black woman governor.
  • In 2021, she became the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia after defeating Democrat Hala Ayala in the general election.

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