Virginia governor’s race will test Trump and Democrats nationally — and make history
November 3, 2025
Democrat Abigail Spanberger is facing Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia race for governor. The outcome guarantees that Virginia will have a woman as governor for the first time and serves as a test of how voters feel about Donald Trump’s presidency. Earle-Sears has had to campaign with only tepid support from Trump, who did not even say her name in a telephone town hall on the eve of the election. Spanberger is a former congresswoman and CIA case officer who offers a model for Democrats who want the party anchored by center-left candidates. Spanberger has tied Earle-Sears to Trump but kept her arguments mostly on Trump’s economic policy and her support for abortion rights.
