LEESBURG, Virginia—The mood at Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign watch party remained largely consistent all night long, even after major news outlets announced her defeat.  

“We’re incredibly proud of our candidate and the work that this team has done,” Peyton Vogel, press secretary for Earle-Sears’ campaign told The Daily Signal shortly before polls closed at 7 p.m. in Virginia. Only about an hour later, The Associated Press called the election, declaring Democrat candidate Abigail Spanberger the winner.  

A handful of boos could be heard as Fox News announced Spanberger was projected to win the race, but the crowd of Earle-Sears’ supporters did not appear shaken by the news and continued chatting and laughing.  

Headed into Election Day, polling showed Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor of Virginia, lagging behind Spanberger by at least 4%, according to The New York Times. Spanberger previously served as a member of Congress from 2019 through 2024.  

With votes still being counted Tuesday night, but with Democrats in a clear lead, John Whitbeck, former chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said he hoped Democrats will “take a lot of the good things [Gov. Glenn Youngkin] did and carry it forward.”  

“I think one of the things that I saw from [Spanberger] was running away a lot from the far-left policies of the Democrat Party,” Whitbeck said, but he added that he was troubled by the fact that Spanberger did not condemn Virginia Democrat Attorney General-elect Jay Jones for comments he made inciting political violence. Jones also won his race against incumbent Republican Jason Miyares despite leaked text messages in which Jones said he would like to kill a political opponent and his young children.  

Four years of Spanberger leadership in Virginia is “going to mean higher prices, higher taxes, [and] we’re probably not going to get rid of the car tax here in Virginia,” Darius Mayfield told The Daily Signal.  

“It’s time for our politicians, elected officials, to start focusing on things that we actually agree on,” said Mayfield, who is running for Congress. â€œThere’s a lot of those things, a lot of things that both sides, independents, Republicans and Democrats, agree on.”  

The mood never soured as the night carried on, and the crowd of about 200 supporters sipped on wine or coffee and enjoyed light refreshments.  

At 9:25 p.m., just about 2-1/2 hours after the polls closed in Virginia, Earle-Sears took the stage to deliver her concession speech.  

“We answered the call and gave it all we had,” Earle-Sears said. “We have no regrets. No matter what comes next, big or small, we still pray, ‘Here I am, Lord, send me.’”  

Earle-Sears said she called Spanberger, but Spanberger did not answer, so Earle-Sears left her a voice message.  

“I asked her to please consider all of us Virginians, that she will represent all of us, not just some of us,” Earle-Sears said. “And I wished her success. If she is successful, Virginia will be successful.”  

“I asked her to support policies that will unite us, that will not divide us, that will strengthen our families and keep us safe, and that if I can ever be of help doing that, I’m here. I’m ready to volunteer. After all, apparently, I have nothing else to do,” Earle-Sears said with a laugh.  

As of 11 p.m. Tuesday night, with 95% of the votes counted, election results showed Spanberger having won 57.1% of the vote and Earle-Sears having garnered 42.7%, according to The Associated Press.  

In the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump drew 46.6% of the vote in Virginia, compared with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who won the state with 51.8% of the vote.  

Looking forward to the midterm elections in 2026, Katie Gorka, executive director of America 250 Civics Education Coalition at the America First Policy Institute, said she does not consider Virginia’s gubernatorial election a bellwether.  

“Virginia is unique because it has the highest population of government workers, so was particularly impacted by DOGE cuts and the [federal government] shutdown,” Gorka said.  

“Also, Spanberger raised twice what [Earle-Sears] raised and Democrat candidates in many other states won’t be able to achieve that fundraising advantage,” Gorka added.  

Earle-Sears supporter and actress Olivia Maxwell predicts four years of Spanberger leadership in Virginia will galvanize “logical” people to get more involved in politics.  

“The logical, reasonable, empathic kind people of the world are going to become more involved in what’s right and wrong and get more involved in the political movement,” Maxwell said.  

Earle-Sears used the final moments of her concession speech to encourage her supporter to “pray for Abigail” and â€œpray for our government.”  

“We must pray for our state, and we must pray for our country,” Earle-Sears said. “God has used us for His purposes.”  

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