In the end, Winsome Earle-Sears came up short in her bid to become Virginia’s next governor. But if you think she’s retreating from the spotlight, think again.
Despite a fiercely fought campaign and an eleventh-hour effort to capitalize on the Jay Jones scandal rocking the state’s Democratic ticket, Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears fell to Rep. Abigail Spanberger — a Democrat with a national profile, deep pockets, and growing establishment support. Earle-Sears acknowledged the loss with characteristic dignity and defiance, telling supporters gathered in Loudoun County: “I’m not going anywhere.”
Indeed, her concession speech felt more like a prelude than a postscript.
“I think I learn more in a loss than I ever do in a victory,” she said. “We tried very, very hard — and we just kept plugging.” And plug she did, running on a platform of school choice, economic growth, repealing car taxes, and protecting parental rights — a message that resonated in the suburbs but struggled to break through in an election year driven by national narratives and big media attention.
But for all of Earle-Sears’ fight, the political math proved too difficult to overcome — not least because of a lingering chill between her and the GOP’s most powerful figure: Donald Trump.
The president, who rallied in Virginia and attacked Spanberger, notably left Earle-Sears’ name off his remarks. That absence wasn’t accidental. The rift dates back to 2022, when Earle-Sears publicly said it was “time to move on” from Trump — a comment that prompted Trump to blast her on Truth Social as a “phony” he “never felt good about.” The fallout was clear: Earle-Sears went into this race without the MAGA base fully behind her — a gap that may have proved fatal in a purple state teetering on a knife’s edge.
Yes. We won in 2016 without them. We don’t need them. They are a hindrance. Tonight proved it again. https://t.co/BsvLHZ7ajM
— Cernovich (@Cernovich) November 5, 2025
And while Trump and VP J.D. Vance were vocal about the Jay Jones scandal — which included vile text messages about murdering political opponents and fantasizing about watching a child die — neither hit the trail for Earle-Sears, despite the political gift the controversy handed Republicans just weeks before Election Day.
To her credit, Earle-Sears did seize the moment. She condemned Jones, demanded his resignation, and cut a campaign ad using screenshots of his texts. But Spanberger stayed insulated, condemning the rhetoric without disowning the candidate — and without ever urging him to step down.
Still, even in defeat, Earle-Sears struck a hopeful, forward-looking tone. “I asked her to please consider all Virginians,” she said of her phone call to Spanberger (who did not pick up). She urged the incoming administration to consider school choice and reject a one-size-fits-all model for education. And she left the crowd with a reminder: “Virginia is not a radical-left state, and I intend to keep it that way.”
It’s easy to write off losing candidates — especially in the current news cycle. But Winsome Earle-Sears is no political footnote. A Jamaican-born immigrant, a Marine Corps veteran, a trailblazer as Virginia’s first Black woman elected to statewide office, and now, the standard-bearer for a branch of the Republican Party that blends faith, constitutionalism, and grit — she is very much still in the arena.
Her final words? “I’m a Christian first and a Republican second. No political party has ever given their life for me.” And then: “We must pray for Abigail. We must pray for our government.”
It’s the kind of grace and backbone that, in today’s politics, is far too rare — and far from finished.
