RICHMOND, Va. (CN) - Voters in Virginia elected the state's first female governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, Tuesday night.
Spanberger, a CIA employee-turned-congresswoman, was in the lead over Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a business owner and a former U.S. Marine, with more than 55% of the vote as of 8:22 p.m. Eastern Time and 1,435 of 2,533 precincts reporting.
The fate of the House of Delegates, the attorney general's office and the lieutenant governor position remains unknown.
Democratic voters interviewed outside of polling locations in central Virginia indicated that they prioritized candidates who will push back against President Donald Trump's policies.
"I think a lot of it revolves around Trump, and people's blind allegiance to Trump," Henrico retiree Tom Terraciano said. "And having someone who will stand up a little bit for that."
Terraciano said Spanberger offered the voters a moderate choice. Spanberger campaigned on protecting abortion access, supporting public schools, lowering medication and other health care costs and increasing housing availability.
"I think Spanberger is a strong candidate," Terraciano said. "She's moderate, she's not radical, and she will, I think, stabilize things in Virginia and maybe set the precedent for other states."
Voter Walt Poitevien stated that, in addition to supporting candidates who prioritize renewable energy and environmental issues, he also cares about raising the minimum wage.
"I have a nephew that makes $12.50 an hour, and that's not enough to live on," the self-employed Richmonder said. "We do need more cleaner energy in this state, but we also need more we need more jobs that actually pay well.
On the other side of the aisle, Old Dominion University student Alex Sadak hoped voters could separate statewide and local candidates from Trump. Sadak emphasized current Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin's steady positive approval rating.
"They may not like who's in the White House, but they're happy in Virginia," Sadak, who handed out Republican sample ballots in Glen Allen, Virginia, said. "We're not trying to nationalize it."
Earle-Sears focused her campaign on reducing the cost of living by cutting taxes, reducing government waste and removing regulations. Earle-Sears also said she would protect Virginia's right-to-work policy and prevent transgender student athletes from participating on the teams of their choosing.
Spanberger, who served as representative for Virginia's 7th Congressional District from 2019 to 2024, has been one of the nation's most bipartisan lawmakers, according to the Lugar Center and Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy's national bipartisan index.
Over 1.4 million Virginians voted early.
Spanberger will be the fifth Democratic governor in Virginia since 2001. Youngkin will hand the keys to the Governor's Mansion to Spanberger on Jan. 17, 2026.
Source: Courthouse News Service
