Virginia Lieutenant Governor Sears files to run for governor in 2025

Virginia's Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears filed her bid this week to replace Gov. Glenn Youngkin as the state's leader next year, after Youngkin's term officially ends.

Sears is the first Republican to enter the governor's race for 2025, but Virginia Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger filed her own bid for the governor's mansion last year. Virginia law restricts governors from serving back-to-back terms. 

The lieutenant governor's petition to run for the state's top slot has been accepted by the Virginia Department of Elections, according to The Hill. If Sears wins next year, she would be Virginia's first female governor, and the country's first black female governor. 

"The future of the Commonwealth of Virginia is here, and it starts today," Sears posted to X on Thursday. "I'm excited, honored, and humbled to announce that I am running to serve as your next governor."

"I'm not your typical politician, and I never will be," she continued in a second post. "I don't make excuses.  I'm tough, principled, and I never stop working to get things done for you. I'm running for governor to make life better for EVERY Virginian."

Youngkin and Sears's electoral victory in 2021 was a major change for the blue-leaning state. However, Democrats have seen successes in state elections since 2021. For example, most of the state's incumbent Democratic lawmakers in swing districts kept their seats during the midterms in 2022.

In 2023, Democrats flipped the House of Delegates, and kept control of the state Senate. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.