In the recent gubernatorial elections, Virginia elected a Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin. His name has appeared frequently in news headlines over the past week, but many stories have left out details about the new lieutenant governor in Virginia. Virginia elected Winsome Sears as lieutenant governor. Sears makes history as the first female and the first woman of color to serve as lieutenant governor in the state. Like Youngkin, Sears is a Republican.
Sears was born in Jamaica and moved to the United States as a child. She has worked in public service throughout her life, serving as a member of the Marine Corps, then leading the Virginia Board of Education as vice president, and eventually becoming a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Sears was the first and still the only Black Republican woman that Virginia has elected to the State House. Sears’ time in the Virginia assembly was short-lived, as she decided to run for a seat in the US House of Representatives after only one term in the state legislature. She lost the race for Virginia’s 3rd District in the US House in 2004 and pursued her own business instead.
This year’s race for lieutenant governor was Sears’ first return to politics since her loss in 2004. She spent the years in between running her business, which offers plumbing, electrical, and appliance-repair services. Sears campaigned on her commitment to supporting small businesses like her own. Other aspects of her identity like her time in the military and work in education also contributed to her policy areas of focus, like expanding support for veterans and increasing pay for teachers.
Sears’ platform aligns with the ideals of the GOP. She is a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment and an advocate for tax cuts, abortion restrictions, school choice, and other conservative stances. She is outspoken against vaccine mandates and has not confirmed whether or not she is vaccinated herself. Additionally, she opposes Critical Race Theory (CRT), which was a major topic in Virginia’s elections this year. Many scholars and educators believe CRT provides a strong framework for understanding systemic racism and plays an important role in alleviating racial inequality in schools, but Sears has taken a strong position that it exacerbates racial issues and causes morale problems for all people.
While Sears’ ideologies pose potential setbacks in Virginia, her election also represents progress in the state. She is the first woman of color to win any statewide office in Virginia, and she will be the second consecutive Black lieutenant governor. Democrat Justin Fairfax, a Black man, has been lieutenant governor since 2018. It is encouraging to see increased representation of people of color and specifically women of color in government, especially in a state like Virginia. However Sears’ conservative opinions are not representative of the majority of women of color in Virginia and the greater country.
Combined with Youngkin’s conservative politics and a new Republican majority in Virginia’s House of Delegates, the years of progress from Democratic leadership in Virginia are at stake. Winsome Sears’ story is remarkable and inspiring for all people from marginalized backgrounds considering a career in government, but her political stances may be harmful for Virginia. Hopefully Virginia will continue to see more women in state leadership, particularly women who stand for progressive policies.