Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears set as Republican nominee for governor

The second of the two 11th-hour challenges to Winsome Earle-Sears for the Republican nomination for governor, predictably, fizzled out.

Amanda Chase, the former state senator who had relentlessly teased a Donald Trump endorsement, didn’t qualify for the primary ballot, falling short of the 10,000-signatures requirement.

Big surprise there: Chase was counting signatures on her ballot petition on the two-hour drive from her new residence in Appomattox to Richmond on the deadline day last week.

So, no Chase, no Dave LaRock, whose campaign fizzled out earlier in the deadline day.

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ICYMI

• Amanda Chase might be on the ballot for a Republican governor primary
• MAGA rabble-rouser Dave LaRock forced to drop out of 2025 Republican governor race

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Both had been setting themselves up as MAGA loyalists who would make hay in a June primary by pointing out early and often that Earle-Sears, the sitting lieutenant governor, is a Never Trumper.

As it stands, she’s still a Never Trumper, but she’s also the Republican nominee.

“Over the past four years, Lt. Gov. Sears has been a fierce advocate for Virginians’ individual liberties and worked hard to put money back into the pockets of Virginia families,” the Republican Party of Virginia said in a statement confirming Earle-Sears as the nominee.

“She has fought tirelessly for those affected by the fentanyl crisis and has championed education initiatives to help our students and their families. Her steadfast fight for parents’ rights has led to major reforms in our Commonwealth. She has also been an unwavering partner of Gov. Glenn Youngkin in countless initiatives that have made Virginia a safer and more prosperous place to live, work, and raise a family,” the party’s statement said.

Earle-Sears will now face off in a one-on-one with the Democratic Party nominee, Abigail Spanberger, a former Northern Virginia congresswoman, in the November general election.

Even before Chase and LaRock tried to enter the Republican nomination race, Earle-Sears was trailing Spanberger bigly in the polls.

That’s why we saw the two MAGAs try to get into the race.

Earle-Sears is more electable than either of her two would-be challengers, but she’s facing obvious headwinds – not just the early polls, but the searing unpopularity of the Trump/Musk administration.

It doesn’t help, with her partisans, that she’s a she, and that she’s not White.