Either former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger or Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears will become the state’s first female governor. Spanberger has focused her campaign on affordability, while Earle-Sears has run on cultural and gender issues. Earle-Sears is running against history. Only once since 1977 has Virginia elected a governor from the same party as the president.
Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares is seeking a second term against former State Del. Jay Jones. In recent weeks, the race has centered around resurfaced violent text messages that Jones sent in 2022. Jones has apologized for the texts, but Miyares has called them disqualifying.
Former conservative radio host John Reid would be the nation’s first openly gay Republican elected to statewide office, while Ghazala Hashmi, a progressive state senator from the Richmond area, would be the nation’s first Muslim woman elected to statewide office. The winner would have the power to break ties in the State Senate, which could be crucial as Democrats currently have a narrow 21-19 majority in the chamber.
Source: Results data via The Associated Press; Projections by CNN