Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears files paperwork ahead of gubernatorial run

RICHMOND, Va. -- Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R - Virginia) has filed paperwork with the Virginia State Board of Elections to run for governor in 2025.

Earle-Sears, 60, made history in 2022 when she became the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia.

If elected governor, she would become the first woman and second person of color in Virginia to lead the Commonwealth.

Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran, immigrated to the United States from Jamaica as a child.

Virginia political watchers have long expected Earle-Sears to announce her candidacy where she might have competition for the nomination.

"It is certainly looking like we may have a contest for the GOP nomination between Lieutenant Governor [Earle-Sears] and Attorney General [Jason] Miyares," CBS 6 political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth told CBS 6. "Sears’ popularity with the Republican base will make her a formidable contender for the nomination."

Miyares' team deflected questions about his political future.

"Our nation cannot afford four more years of the failed policies of Biden and Harris. My focus right now is on November 2024 and electing as many Republicans in Virginia as we can," Miyares said in a statement to CBS 6. "It is clear that we cannot allow the Democrats to seize complete control of power in Washington or in Richmond. We all need to be focused on this November's elections before even thinking about next year."

Watch: Winsome Earle-Sears sworn in as Virginia Lieutenant Governor

In November 2023, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger announced she would run for Virginia governor in 2025 as a Democratic instead of seeking reelection to the U.S. House .

Spanberger, 45, is a former CIA officer and law enforcement officer for the U.S. Postal Service.

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