Virginia voters are making history Tuesday as they elect the state’s first female governor. The question is whether that will be Democrat Abigail Spanberger or Republican Winsome Earle‑Sears.
Spanberger has focused her campaign on so-called kitchen table issues like affordability and has appealed directly to Virginia’s nearly 150,000 federal workers impacted by the ongoing government shutdown. Earle‑Sears, a staunch conservative, has closely aligned with former President Donald Trump’s platform, emphasizing topics such as transgender participation in sports.
The gubernatorial election comes as voters nationwide head to the polls for the first time since President Trump won a year ago. Virginia — traditionally considered a purple state — currently has a Republican governor, but state law bars governors from serving consecutive terms and each cycle brings new candidates.
In Arlington, many voters have stuck to party lines, with Republicans citing shared morals and values and Democrats also pointing to ideological alignment.
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Education, abortion rights and the economy have dominated the campaign, though the shutdown looms large in Virginia given the concentration of government employees in Northern Virginia.
"Virginia is also uniquely situated to be affected by federal issues even before the government shutdown," said Jessica Taylor, Senate and Governors Editor at The Cook Political Report. "More workers being laid off, federal workers being — their jobs cut by DOGE and different things. And so really, the ongoing federal shutdown has brought those issues even more into focus and I think that was already hurting Earl-Seares."
Some furloughed government employees told Scripps News they were frustrated by the shutdown’s impact and criticized the Trump administration’s communication about developments at federal agencies. Early voting has been strong, with state election officials reporting that about 1.4 million Virginians cast ballots early, most in person.
Spanberger has been leading in the polls, but the outcome will remain unclear until polls close at 7 p.m. ET and officials begin tallying results.
