Lt. Governor Winsome Sears has raised over $3 million since her campaign launched 4 months ago.
“The fight for Virginia’s future is in full-swing and the rush of grassroots and financial support for Winsome over just four months has placed our campaign in a position of great strength,” said Tucker Obenshain, Sears’ finance director.
More than $400,000 of Sears’ support came from grassroots donors contributing less than $100 to her campaign.
Presumptive Democrat opponent former Rep. Abigail Spanberger fell short of Sears’ fundraising this cycle by about 15% but has significantly more cash on hand thanks to a year-long head start on the campaign.
A Jamaican immigrant, Sears is a Marine Corps veteran and has already become Virginia’s first female Lt. Governor and first Black female elected statewide. Should she win in November, Sears will become the first Black female governor of any state in the country.
An Emerson College poll puts Sears and Spanberger at a dead heat with 42% and 41% respectively. 13% of voters remain undecided. A Mason-Dixon poll shows Spanberger with a slightly higher lead but shows a 58% approval for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a good sign for Sears.
Details from the Emerson College poll reveal that 59% of voters think Virginia is headed in the right direction. Voters also tended to blame President Joe Biden for personal economic concerns rather than Virginia’s state leadership.
While Spanberger and Sears are currently the only two candidates, Rep. Bobby Scott is considering challenging Spanberger while former Rep. David Riggleman has mused about a possible run as an Independent.
Searls currently polls ahead of Scott 46%-44%.
“I’m not really running to make history. I’m just trying to, as I’ve said before, leave it better than I found it, and I want everyone to have the same opportunities I had,” Searls told Fox News.
“There’s still much work to do, still regulations that we’ve got to get rid of, still educational opportunities that are needing to be taken advantage of, and I am the one to carry that, because I’ve been part of that,” she added.
The looming election has made this year’s legislative session ripe for grand issues and Constitutional Amendments. Sears has introduced an amendment enshrining an employee’s Right to Work while Democrats have used their single vote majority in both houses to push a sweeping protection of abortions including eliminating parental notification laws for minors.
Candidates for Governor have until April 3rd to file to run with a party affiliation or June 17th to run as an independent.