Republican Winsome Sears Flips Virginia Lieutenant Governor’s Office Red

Elected First Female Lieutenant Governor in Virginia History

Virginia Republicans End 12-Year Drought in Statewide Races

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Winsome Sears achieved a historic victory in Virginia tonight, returning control of the lieutenant governor’s office to Republicans and becoming the first female elected to serve as lieutenant governor in Virginia’s history. Sears’ groundbreaking victory comes on the heels of the launch of the RSLC’s “Right Leaders Network,” the committee’s recently announced initiative to enhance its efforts to support more women and minority candidates in state races to help grow the Republican Party from the ground up. 

Sears was able to overcome being drastically outspent 2.5:1 in this race, as her unique background as an immigrant from Jamaica, U.S. Marine, and the founder of a small business allowed her to draw a strong contrast with Hala Ayala’s career of backing down in the face of political pressure. RSLC PAC helped Sears pull off tonight’s stunning upset, contributing over $350,000 to her campaign, running ads in support of her candidacy, and working closely with her since her convention victory in June. 

“We were proud to support Winsome Sears in this race and we congratulate her and all our partners in Virginia on tonight’s historic upset,” said RSLC President Dee Duncan. “Winsome is a prime example of how Republicans can win in blue states when we nominate candidates who better connect with a diverse electorate. In running on a platform of empowering parents, lowering the cost of living, and getting violent crime back under control, Winsome was a voice for Virginians of all backgrounds who are fed up with the failures of Democrat control. Her ability to communicate with non-traditional Republican voting blocs and build a broad coalition of supporters was a huge asset to the entire ticket, and her candidacy will serve as model for our recruiting and training efforts in 2022.” 

Sears’ victory is also a devastating blow to the national liberals bankrolling Ayala, particularly the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), who spent $250,000 in support of her candidacy. This massive failure was the first time ever the DLCC attempted to spend money in a lieutenant governor’s race. 

###