Jamaican-born Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears was soundly beaten Tuesday in the election to become Virginia governor, failing in her bid to become the first woman to run the state.

Instead, that feat has been accomplished by Democrat Abigail Spanberger as she won back the governor’s mansion for her party in what political observers are calling voters’ first significant verdict on Donald Trump’s return to office.

Spanberger’s win in Virginia — which is second only to California in the size of its federal workforce — was no surprise, as polls had shown her holding a steady lead of seven to 12 points throughout the campaign.

The former CIA officer and moderate three-term congresswoman was projected to beat Republican Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran and staunch Trump ally, by a comfortable margin.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger celebrates as she takes the stage during her election-night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on November 04, 2025 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo: AFP)

“You all chose leadership that will focus relentlessly on what matters most — lowering costs, keeping our communities safe and strengthening our economy for every Virginian,” Spanberger said in her victory speech.

Casting herself as a bulwark against Trump’s aggressive federal downsizing, Spanberger vowed to be “a governor who will stand up” for the thousands of federal workers laid off by Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Earle-Sears ran a campaign aimed at firing up conservatives, mirroring the playbook of outgoing, term-limited Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin to focus on culture war issues such as transgender athletes and abortion.

The 61-year-old emigrated to the United States with her parents at age six.

A trailblazer, she was the first black Republican woman elected to the Virginia House in 2002, becoming the first naturalised US citizen and first female veteran to serve in the State House, and became the first woman of colour to be elected to a statewide office in Virginia when she won the post of lieutenant governor.

Additional reporting by AFP