Winsome Earle-Sears

Winsome Earle-Sears (Republican Party) is the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. She assumed office on January 15, 2022. Her current term ends on January 17, 2026.

Earle-Sears (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Virginia. She lost in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Biography

Winsome Earle-Sears served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Earle-Sears earned a master's degree. Her career experience includes working as an electrician and managing a business. Earle-Sears served on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, as the vice president of the Virginia Board of Education, and as the co-chair of the African American Committee on the US Census Bureau.^[1]^[2]

Political career

Below is a list of offices within Ballotpedia’s scope. Offices outside of that scope will not be listed. If an update is needed and the office is within our scope, please contact us.

Earle-Sears' political career includes the following offices:

2022-present: Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Elections

2025

General election

General election for Governor of Virginia

Abigail Spanberger defeated Winsome Earle-Sears in the general election for Governor of Virginia on November 4, 2025.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Abigail Spanberger (D)	56.7	1,676,758
	Winsome Earle-Sears (R)	43.2	1,277,999
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	2,866

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 2,957,623
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Donna Charles (Independent)
Levar Stoney (D)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Abigail Spanberger advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Winsome Earle-Sears advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Virginia.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Earle-Sears received the following endorsements.

U.S. Rep. Jennifer Kiggans (R)
U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R)
U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R)
Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association

See also: Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2025

Winsome Earle-Sears did not file to run for re-election.

2021

Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (June 8 Democratic primary)

Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2021 (May 8 Republican convention)

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Winsome Earle-Sears defeated Hala Ayala in the general election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on November 2, 2021.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Winsome Earle-Sears (R)	50.7	1,658,767
	Hala Ayala (D)	49.2	1,608,691
	Other/Write-in votes	0.1	3,808

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,271,266
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Bobby Junes (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on June 8, 2021.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Hala Ayala	37.6	181,168
	Sam Rasoul	24.3	116,816
	Mark Levine	11.2	53,735
	Andria McClellan	10.6	51,015
	Sean Perryman	8.1	38,925
	Xavier Warren	4.1	19,903
	Elizabeth Guzman (Unofficially withdrew)	4.1	19,803

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 481,365
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Kellen Squire (D)
Paul Goldman (D)

Republican convention

Republican Convention for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Select round:

The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Winsome Earle-Sears in round 5 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,555
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.

2018

See also: United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Virginia

Incumbent Tim Kaine defeated Corey Stewart and Matt Waters in the general election for U.S. Senate Virginia on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Tim Kaine (D)	57.0	1,910,370
	Corey Stewart (R)	41.0	1,374,313
	Matt Waters (L)	1.8	61,565
	Other/Write-in votes	0.2	5,125

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,351,373
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Virginia

Incumbent Tim Kaine advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Virginia on June 12, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Tim Kaine

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Virginia

Corey Stewart defeated Nick Freitas and E.W. Jackson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Virginia on June 12, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Corey Stewart	44.9	136,610
	Nick Freitas	43.1	131,321
	E.W. Jackson	12.0	36,508

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 304,439
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

Winsome Earle-Sears did not complete Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Winsome Earle-Sears did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Earle-Sears' campaign website stated the following:

“

Winsome Sears is a former U.S. Marine, former member of the Virginia General Assembly, and the 2021 Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor. Her views are informed by her service to the Commonwealth and her Country, her faith, and her belief in equal opportunity for all Virginians.

CREATING GOOD PAYING JOBS

As Lieutenant Governor, Winsome will champion good paying jobs for every Virginian. She will support policies that keep taxes low, reduce regulations, and promote small businesses. Specifically, Winsome will push to:

Enact a 12 Month Small Business Tax Holiday
Cut Unnecessary Regulations by 25 Percent
Protect Virginia’s Right-to-Work Law and Oppose Forced Unionization

CUTTING COSTS FOR FAMILIES

The cost of living is rising in Virginia and that’s hurting families, especially our most struggling and aspiring ones. Winsome will support policies that reduce the cost of living for Virginians. Specifically, Winsome supports Glenn Youngkin’s Day One Game Plan to Cut Costs for Virginians:

Eliminating Virginia’s Grocery Tax & Suspending the Recent Gas Tax Hike for 12 Months
Providing a One Time Tax Rebate of $600 for Joint Filers and $300 for Individuals
Ending Runaway Property Taxes by Requiring Voter Approval for Increases
Cutting Income Taxes by Doubling the Standard Deduction

OPEN AND STRENGTHEN SCHOOLS

Winsome knows a quality education is the best way to lift people out of poverty and make sure they have access to a good paying job. Winsome will champion investments in public schools, empower parents with choices, and raise standards in education. Specifically, Winsome will push to:

Keep Schools Open Safely 5 Days a Week
Raise Teacher Pay & Recruit More Teachers to End the Teacher Shortage
Restore High Standards for School Accreditation & SOL Tests
Promoting Choice by Creating More Opportunities, Especially in Failing School Districts

UPLIFTING BLACK VIRGINIANS

Virginians are not defined by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. Still, data shows that Black Virginians are disproportionately failed by our government, whether it’s in education or when it comes to job opportunities. Winsome will uplift Black Virginians as Lieutenant Governor. Specifically, Winsome will push to:

Create a Black Virginians Advisory Cabinet to the Governor
Make a Once-in-a-Generation Investment in Historically Black Colleges & Universities
Create 10 “Legacy Wealth Startup Incubators” in Black Communities to Promote Black Entrepreneurship

KEEPING VIRGINIA SAFE

Keeping Virginians safe is a top responsibility of state government. As Lieutenant Governor, Winsome will defend our law enforcement heroes, crack down on violent criminals and preserve truth-in-sentencing – all while promoting commonsense criminal justice reforms that give nonviolent offenders a path to redemption. Specifically, Winsome will push to:

Fire the Parole Board and Preserve Truth in Sentencing
Raise Pay for Virginia State Police Troopers, Sheriff’s Deputies, Corrections Officers, and Police Officers
Reduce Law Enforcement Interactions by Increasing the Use of Handheld Photo Speed Enforcement

SERVING OUR VETERANS

Virginia is home to over 800,000 veterans and their families, including Winsome Sears. Winsome served in the U.S. Marines, and she wants to ensure Virginia remains the most veteran friendly state in the nation. As Lieutenant Governor, Winsome will push to:

Eliminate All Taxes on the First $40,000 in Military Veteran Retirement Pay
Expand Virginia’s Veterans Care Centers in Richmond, Salem, Hampton Roads & Northern Virginia
Expanding our Veteran Workforce Transition Programs to Get Veterans Good Paying Jobs^[3]

”

—Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign website (2021)^[4]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Winsome Earle-Sears campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2021	Lieutenant Governor of Virginia	Won general	$3,055,928	$2,779,527
Grand total			$3,055,928	$2,779,527
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

External links

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Candidate

Governor of Virginia

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Officeholder

Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Wavy 10, "Candidate Profile: Winsome Sears (Lt. Governor)," September 23, 2021
↑ Winsome Sears, "About," accessed December 10, 2021
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Winsome Sears , “Issues,” accessed October 19, 2021

Political offices
Preceded by -	Lieutenant Governor of Virginia 2022-Present	Succeeded by Ghazala Hashmi (D)

[bio-1] Wavy 10, "Candidate Profile: Winsome Sears (Lt. Governor)," September 23, 2021

[bio2-2] Winsome Sears, "About," accessed December 10, 2021

[quotedisclaimer-3] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[4] Winsome Sears , “Issues,” accessed October 19, 2021

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Winsome Earle-Sears	54.4	6,828	1,402	Advanced (5)
	Tim Hugo	45.6	5,726	1,910	5
	Glenn Davis	0.0	0	-3,312	5
	Lance Allen	0.0	0	0	4
Submit photo	Puneet Ahluwalia	0.0	0	0	3
Submit photo	Maeve Rigler	0.0	0	0	2

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Winsome Earle-Sears	43.2	5,426	799	Advanced (5)
	Tim Hugo	30.4	3,816	631	5
	Glenn Davis	26.4	3,312	474	5
	Lance Allen	0.0	0	-1,904	4
Submit photo	Puneet Ahluwalia	0.0	0	0	3
Submit photo	Maeve Rigler	0.0	0	0	2

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Winsome Earle-Sears	36.9	4,627	327	Advanced (5)
	Tim Hugo	25.4	3,185	198	5
	Glenn Davis	22.6	2,838	163	5
	Lance Allen	15.2	1,904	202	4
Submit photo	Puneet Ahluwalia	0.0	0	-889	3
Submit photo	Maeve Rigler	0.0	0	0	2

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Winsome Earle-Sears	34.3	4,300	224	Advanced (5)
	Tim Hugo	23.8	2,987	163	5
	Glenn Davis	21.3	2,675	138	5
	Lance Allen	13.6	1,702	163	4
Submit photo	Puneet Ahluwalia	7.1	889	70	3
Submit photo	Maeve Rigler	0.0	0	-760	2

	Candidate	%	Total Votes	Transfer	Round eliminated
	Winsome Earle-Sears	32.5	4,076	0	Advanced (5)
	Tim Hugo	22.5	2,824	0	5
	Glenn Davis	20.2	2,537	0	5
	Lance Allen	12.3	1,539	0	4
Submit photo	Puneet Ahluwalia	6.5	819	0	3
Submit photo	Maeve Rigler	6.1	760	0	2

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Winsome Earle-Sears

Biography

Political career

Elections

2025

General election

General election for Governor of Virginia

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Republican primary election

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

2021

General election

General election for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican convention

Republican Convention for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia

2018

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Virginia

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Virginia

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Virginia

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

2021

Campaign website

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2026 Elections

2025 Elections

Election analysis

Trending

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