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Virginia is set to elect its first female governor Tuesday in a contest pitting two women seen as up-and-comers in their parties.
The NBC News Decision Desk has projected that Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger will win the race for governor in Virginia.
Virginia and New Jersey are the only states that regularly elect governors the year after a presidential election, so they’re often seen as windows into voters’ minds ahead of midterm elections.
This time, Virginia’s election also could indicate what the electorate is thinking when it comes to more immediate concerns: The vote lands in the middle of a government shutdown in one of the states with the largest number of federal workers.
Because of Virginia’s term limits, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will finish his first and only term at the end of the year. (He is eligible to serve again as long as his next term is not consecutive.)
No matter the outcome, the race will be historic. Here’s a closer look at the candidates.
Abigail Spanberger
Spanberger is a former CIA officer and the first woman to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, which spans much of the state’s north. She has vowed to increase the availability of affordable housing, lower prescription drug costs, prioritize public school funding and protect Virginia’s Medicaid expansion and the Affordable Care Act. She has also been outspoken against cuts to the federal workforce.
Winsome Earle-Sears
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee, promises to be tough on crime, adopting an approach and rhetoric similar to the Trump administration. Earle-Sears, a former Marine, opposes sanctuary cities and backed Youngkin’s executive order that directs state police and local law enforcement to assist federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in operations.
Spanberger characterized Earle-Sears as a “MAGA Republican” during the campaign, though Earle-Sears was not formally endorsed by President Donald Trump.