State governors hold one third of the power vested in the state government. Their selection is distinct and important–and Virginians will be appointing one this November.
They will have the option to choose between Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA agent and representative for Virginia’s 7th district in the House of Representatives, and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, Virginia’s current Lieutenant Governor and past businesswoman and marine. This will be a landmark election in Virginia, as it will be the first time both parties have put a woman on the ballot. It is also the first time Republicans have ever put a woman or a person of color on the ballot.
Also on the ballot will be candidates for Attorney General, Jay Jones (D) and Jason Miyares (R). In the Samuel Miller district, Scott Smith and Fred Missel are running for Board of Supervisors.
Who are the candidates?
Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic candidate for Governor. She has served as Virginia’s 7th District representative for the past three terms, since 2018. Before then, she worked as a CIA agent, federal law enforcement officer, and spent several years in private practice. She is also a mother of three daughters who attend Virginia public schools. Her goals for Virginia include strengthening local police stations, promoting clean energy companies and programs, and working to enshrine equal rights within Virginia law, including marriage rights.
Winsome Earle-Sears is the Republican candidate for Governor. She is the current Lieutenant governor of Virginia, and has been involved in Virginia politics since 2003, when she served as a representative in Virginia’s House of Delegates. In 2011, she was appointed to the State Board of Education, and was elected as vice president in 2014. Earle-Sears is native to Kingston, Jamaica, as immigrated to the US when she was six. She served as an electrician for the Marines, and made history as the first Black woman and female veteran to hold statewide office in Virginia. She hopes to initiate common-sense tax cuts, keep trans women out of female sports, and be tough on illegal immigrants by providing resources to law enforcement officers.
Jay Jones is the Democrat running for Attorney General. In his political past, he was representative for Virginia’s 89th district from 2018 to 2021, and served as an Assistant Attorney General in Washington, D.C., working with organizations like the NAACP to protect voting rights. As Attorney General, Jones plans on fighting for women’s access to abortion, combat the sale of ghost guns, and oppose monopolies and mergers that raise grocery and rent prices in Virginia.
Jason Miyares, Virginia’s current Attorney General, is running for reelection. He has served as Attorney General since 2022, and was Virginia’s 82nd district representative in the House of Delegates from 2016-2022. He hopes to be reelected for Attorney General in order to continue an aggressive approach to preventing and prosecuting gun violence, and combat the sale of opioids and sex trafficking.
Scott Smith and Fred Missel are both running to be Samuel Miller’s representative on the county Board of Supervisors. A county Board of Supervisors primarily enacts ordinances that affect constituents and create and supervise local departments. Albemarle County has six representatives, plus a chairman and vice chairman.
Smith, a local resident with a background in technology, advocates for government transparency and accountability, and hopes to keep schools and the local police force strong. Along with that, he hopes to fight rising taxes in order to prioritize local citizens and businesses.
Missel is also a long time resident of Albemarle County, and is an architect involved with Albemarle County’s Planning Commission. Missel’s goals include supporting affordable housing, keeping his county rural, and supporting an increase of funding for public schools. He also supports continued and increased funding for local EMS, police, and fire departments.
