Virginia Republicans are cautiously optimistic about Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears’ chances in November’s gubernatorial race, as new polling released this week shows the Republican nominee closing the gap. A Roanoke College poll released earlier this week showed former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) leading Earle-Sears 46 percent to 39 percent among likely Virginia voters. Another 14 percent of voters said they were undecided, while 1 percent said they would vote for someone else. The same poll also showed tight races in the lieutenant governor and the attorney general race. Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) leads Republican John Reid in the race to replace Earle-Sears 38 percent to 35 percent, while former Del. Jay Jones (D) leads incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) 41 percent to 38 percent. Republicans say alleviated concerns about the management of the lieutenant governor’s campaign, coupled with a focus on cultural issues in some Northern Virginia schools, is benefitting the state’s GOP ticket.
The latest polling average released earlier this month by The Hill’s partners at Decision Desk HQ prior to the release of the most recent Roanoke College poll shows Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 45.2% to 36 percent. Spanberger has also been leading Earle-Sears in the money race, raising $27 million since she jumped into the race in November 2023 and has more than $15 million in the bank.
