Overview
- Spanberger defeated Republican lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears in Tuesday’s election, handing Democrats a high-profile pickup.
- Her win ends Republican control in Richmond as she prepares to succeed outgoing GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
- She emphasized pocketbook issues and support for abortion rights in a Southern state that has not enacted new limits on the procedure.
- The campaign poured money into ads tying Earle-Sears to President Trump, and Spanberger courted swing voters across traditionally Republican areas.
- Trump offered a lukewarm endorsement and did not campaign for Earle-Sears, prompting GOP questions about candidate strategy and 2026 prospects for legislative and Washington control.