The Virginia governor's race may be the first political test of President Donald Trump's slashing of the federal workforce through DOGE. Virginia was hit hard by the cuts, with an estimated 23,000 people losing their jobs. The issue is getting extra attention as a Trump ally campaigns with Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears in suburban Richmond on Friday. Vivek Ramaswamy is a former Republican presidential contender who is now a candidate for Ohio governor. But it is Ramaswamy’s short-lived tenure as co-leader of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency that has Democrats fired up. Democrat Abigail Spanberger called on Earle-Sears to cancel the event in light of Ramaswamy’s role as “one of the chief architects of the DOGE effort.”

Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears stopped in the Roanoke Valley on Saturday as part of her campaign to be Virginia’s next governor.

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin says Virginia’s economy is thriving after ending its fiscal year with high revenues. He says the state netted a $572 million surplus and a $4.7 billion rainy-day fund. It's a characterization Democrats are criticizing as rose-colored in light of budgetary decisions neighboring Washington, D.C. They are particularly concerned about Medicaid after Congress passed a reconciliation bill making federal cuts to the program. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell cites an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office this year estimating that roughly 11 million Americans will lose access to Medicaid.

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears says she's running her campaign for Virginia governor like a military-style operation. And at this point, a few months away from the November election, it's looking like a campaign on the defensive. The lieutenant governor is facing a Democratic Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman who has more campaign money and a unified party behind her. Earle-Sears has replaced a pastor with little political experience who had been her campaign manager. And her team has failed to gain traction with big money donors. An Earle-Sears victory would make her the first Black woman in U.S. history to serve as a governor.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger often campaigns in rural Virginia districts that President Donald Trump won by large margins. In the general election to be Virginia's next governor, she is competing for voters in places where Democrats have struggled in recent elections. Spanberger’s efforts to gain ground in ruby-red parts of Virginia come as Democrats have nationally shown more interest in small-town America. The terrain may be new for Democrats nationally but it's familiar ground for Spanberger. She hopes to benefit from growing concern about the impact of Trump's policies on rural areas.

Here's a breakdown of the importance of Virginia's 2025 gubernatorial election.

A forum featuring the six Democratic candidates for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia is set to be held on Wednesday, April 22 in Roanoke.

While one election just ended, Virginians aren’t too far out from our 2025 state elections, including the governor’s race.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate and current US Representative, Abigail Spanberger made a campaign stop in Roanoke.