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

Roanoke College released a poll on Aug. 19 that asked likely Virginian voters multiple questions regarding their opinions on candidates, who they would vote for, if they feel the country is on the right path, among others.

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.

The latest VCU Wilder School Commonwealth Poll shows Democratic candidates with a commanding lead in the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election.

The Democratic nominee for governor, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, is hitting the road for “Span Virginia,” an eight-day bus tour reaching all corners of the commonwealth

Democrats in Virginia have built up a big fundraising advantage in this year's race for governor. It's an election seen as a bellwether for the 2026 midterms. The Democratic nominee is Abigail Spanberger, a congresswoman who is a former CIA case officer. She has a more than 2-to-1 fundraising edge over the Republican candidate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Virginia and New Jersey are the two states with statewide elections this year. The Democrats’ fundraising lead may reflect Democratic enthusiasm and the party's ability to push voters to the polls.

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.

Roanoke College released a poll on Aug. 2 that asked likely Virginian voters multiple questions regarding their opinions on candidates, who they would vote for, if they feel the country is on the right path, among others.

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

The two nominees for the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election are now set. Current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was confirmed as the Republican nominee on Saturday, the Virginia GOP X account confirmed.

The Trump administration’s aggressive push to cut government jobs is reverberating in the early stages of this year’s race for governor in Virginia. The fast-moving effort by Republican President Donald Trump to overhaul the federal workforce could have a sweeping impact in the state, home to some 145,000 federal employees and many more government contractors. Virginia, which along with New Jersey is picking a new governor in 2025, is already regarded as something of an early indicator of voter attitudes between presidential elections. The leading contenders in the governor's race are a former Democratic congresswoman, Abigail Spanberger, and the Republican lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears. The primaries are in June.

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