Virginia’s Gubernatorial Election: A Historic First for the Commonwealth

By: Saahiti Kiran Chamala, Mason Votes Managing Editor

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election, scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2025, is set to make history. For the first time, Virginians will elect a woman as their governor. Because incumbent Glenn Youngkin (R) is barred from running for re-election by Virginia’s one-term limit, the race is wide open — and the stakes are high.

The contest features two prominent candidates: former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D) and current Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R). Beyond signaling national political trends, the outcome will shape the leadership of key state institutions.

The next governor will hold appointment power over the George Mason University Board of Visitors, directly influencing higher education governance and policy.

Abigail Spanberger’s Campaign Vision

A former CIA officer and three-term congresswoman, Spanberger has centered her campaign on unity, affordability, and strong public institutions. Her platform draws heavily on her bipartisan record and personal ties to Virginia’s public education system.

Strengthening K–12 Education:
As a parent of three children in Virginia’s public schools, Spanberger has made education the centerpiece of her campaign. Her “Strengthening Virginia Schools” plan calls for increased school funding, better teacher pay, modernized academic standards, expanded student mental health services, and robust safety initiatives addressing gun violence and cybersecurity. She also proposes recruitment incentives, apprenticeships, and residency programs to help solve the teacher shortage.

Higher Education:
Spanberger views Virginia’s universities as economic drivers. She supports expanding dual enrollment opportunities, boosting financial aid, and building stronger partnerships between schools and industries. She also pledges to safeguard Boards of Visitors from partisan interference and promote mission-driven governance.

Early Childhood Education:
Her platform also emphasizes early learning as an investment in the state’s workforce. She proposes expanding access to affordable child care, increasing subsidies for working families, growing the early educator pipeline, and cutting zoning barriers to increase supply.

Lowering the Cost of Living:
Spanberger’s “Affordable Virginia” plan aims to ease financial pressures through lower health care costs, more housing supply, and affordable energy. She supports cracking down on prescription drug prices, improving hospital price transparency, investing in starter homes, and ensuring data centers contribute their fair share to energy infrastructure.

Protecting Rights:
A key element of her campaign is defending reproductive freedoms. Spanberger has vowed to codify Roe v. Wade protections at the state level, secure access to contraception and IVF, and address maternal health disparities — framing these measures as essential to preserving personal liberty in Virginia.

To learn more about Spanberger’s campaign platform and initiatives, visit abigailspanberger.com

Winsome Earle-Sears’ Campaign Vision

Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears brings a compelling personal narrative to her campaign. Born in Jamaica, she immigrated to the U.S., served in the Marine Corps, and rose to become Virginia’s first Black woman lieutenant governor. Her platform focuses on affordability, public safety, and parental rights in education.

Affordability and Taxes:
Earle-Sears has made lowering the cost of living central to her campaign. She proposes eliminating Virginia’s car tax, enacting “common-sense tax cuts,” and reducing government spending and regulation — policies she argues will make the state more affordable and attractive to businesses.

Public Safety:
Citing her military background, she pledges a tough stance on crime. Earle-Sears vows to end “catch-and-release” policies, deport violent criminal offenders in the country illegally, oppose sanctuary cities, and increase resources for law enforcement. Her message: “A safe Virginia is a prosperous Virginia.”

Education Reform:
Earle-Sears strongly advocates for school choice, charter school expansion, and “parental rights” in education. She supports a “back-to-basics” academic approach that prioritizes literacy and math while pushing back against what she calls “ideological agendas.”

Economic Policy:
Defending Virginia’s right-to-work laws is another cornerstone of her platform. She argues that preserving these laws will sustain a business-friendly environment and keep the state competitive for job growth.

Protecting Women’s Sports and Spaces:
Earle-Sears has taken a firm stance on restricting transgender women from participating in women’s sports, framing the issue as one of “fairness and safety.” She also supports policies that preserve female-only spaces in alignment with certain federal standards.

To learn more about Earle-Sears’ campaign values and policy priorities, visit winsomeforgovernor.com

How Virginians Can Vote

Virginia voters have multiple ways to cast their ballots in this historic election:

• Early Voting: In-person early voting is currently underway and runs through the Saturday before Election Day (Nov. 1). Learn More: elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-absentee or fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/early-voting
• Mail-in Voting: Voters can request a mail-in ballot until October 24th through the state election portal and must return it by Election Day. Learn More: elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/early-absentee or fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/early-voting
• Election Day: Traditional in-person voting will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, with polls open 6am-7pm. Anyone in line at 7pm will be allowed to vote. Make sure to research your assigned polling place prior to Election Day: elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/polling-place-lookup/

Your George Mason University Student Photo ID is welcomed during in-person early voting or on Election Day! Vote using either your physical Mason ID card OR electronic Mason Mobile ID. However, you may not vote using a photo of your physical ID. Click here to learn more about acceptable voter ID in Virginia >

Voters can confirm or update their registration, find their assigned polling location, find early voting locations, and more by accessing the VA Dept. of Elections’ Citizen Portal: elections.virginia.gov/citizen-portal/

This election will not only make history by electing Virginia’s first woman governor — it will shape the direction of education, economic policy, and governance for years to come. With both candidates offering sharply contrasting visions, Virginians face a defining choice about the future of their Commonwealth.

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Abigail Spanberger Photo Credit: U.S. House of Representatives – https://d12t4t5x3vyizu.cloudfront.net/spanberger.house.gov/uploads/2023/02/118th-Congress-New-Headshot.jpg, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=127470320, cropped.

Winsome Earle-Sears Photo Credit: Unknown author – 192wg.ang.af.mil, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157775073, cropped.