As Virginians prepare to elect their first woman governor, control of the state—and the future of abortion, education and equality—hangs in the balance.
Over the next month into Election Day on Nov. 4, 2025, Virginia voters will decide not only the state’s next governor, but also control of the House of Delegates. The outcome will determine the direction of Virginia’s policies for years to come, and will send powerful signals about the nation’s political climate.
The race is already historic. For the first time, both major party candidates for governor are women: former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R). Whoever wins will become the state’s first woman governor.
Virginia’s gubernatorial races have long been viewed as a check on the political landscape. One of only two states to hold gubernatorial elections the year after a presidential election, it often serves as a national mood check. In 2017, Democrat Ralph Northam’s victory was seen as a rebuke of President Donald Trump; in 2021, Republican Glenn Youngkin carried the state in an upset win. (Biden had carried the state by 10 points just a year prior.)
What’s at Stake
Abortion is currently legal in Virginia, though subject to restrictions. Over the past few years, Democrats have rolled back barriers like mandatory ultrasounds and state-scripted counseling, while passing a shield law to protect providers from extradition—only to see it vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
In 2022 alone, seven antiabortion bills were introduced, including a 20-week ban and heightened consent requirements. A Republican legislature could see these bills return, along with possible harsher measures. Earle-Sears vocally opposes abortion, and said in a 2020 interview she was supportive of a six-week ban.
The fight for reproductive rights in Virginia extends beyond abortion—earlier this year, Senate Democrats forced Earle-Sears to break a tie on a contraception access bill. She voted no, alongside every Republican state senator. The bill eventually passed through a procedural maneuver, but not without the Republicans on record opposing the right to contraception.
The Governor’s Race
Abigail Spanberger (D)
Spanberger worked as a CIA case agent before serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025.
Here’s where she stands on key issues—according to guides.vote, which creates nonpartisan voters guides to key elections across the United States, in both English and Spanish.
- On abortion, Spanberger “supports adding reproductive rights to the Virginia Constitution.” Supports “the right to choose.” Said, “Congress needs to codify Roe v. Wade as federal law.”
- On climate change, Spanberger said climate change is a “direct threat” to our future. Supported funding local “climate stewardship” and voted for $369 billion in clean energy investments.
- On criminal justice, she supports increasing officer pay and funding community policing. Said that the “Defund the Police” slogan “was a terrible idea.”
- On the economy, she wants a statewide strategy on developing infrastructure, with both rural and urban development, including more broadband. Wants a push for investment in shovel-ready sites.
- On DOGE layoffs and cuts, she opposes “these unprecedented attacks on the federal workforce,” and said the cuts are “terrible for Virginia’s economy and Virginia’s workforce.” Said, “Virginia is home to more than 320,000 full-time federal employees, and the impacts are dire.”
- On education, Spanberger opposes “efforts that seek to… take public dollars out of public schools.” Sponsored a bill funding public school facilities that excluded funding for-profit schools.
- On teaching about racism, she said, “We [Virginia] have the greatest elements of our foundation in our country. We also have the darkest moments in our country’s history. And that history is important for us to learn from.”
- On gun laws, Spanberger said, “As a former federal law enforcement officer, I carried a gun…. I support the Second Amendment. I also believe that commonsense gun safety laws are necessary to curb the gun violence epidemic we are facing today.”
- On healthcare, she sponsored a bill to expand Medicaid eligibility and federal funding. Would improve access to rural healthcare, including telehealth.
- On immigration, she said, “Our immigration system is broken.” Wants to deal separately with issues of immigration and fentanyl trafficking. Voted for a pathway to permanent residency for DACA Dreamers. ICE raids are “not about keeping communities safe.”
- On labor, Spanberger sponsored the PRO Act, which would protect union organizing rights. said, “I … strongly support organized labor.” She doesn’t support “a full repeal of our current right-to-work statute,” but “reforms may be necessary into the future.”
- On LGBTQ rights, she supports removing “the ban on marriage equality from Virginia’s Constitution.” Voted to prohibit discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Sponsored a bill to put same-sex and interracial marriage rights into federal law.
- On marijuana, said, “We need a formalized, legal, emerging cannabis market.” Voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
- On minimum wage, as governor, [she] would sign legislation to raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. (It is currently $12.77.)
- On tariffs, she said Trump “tariffs are a tax on Virginians … who will feel the sting.” said, “There’s a cost to this chaos, and Virginia families are paying the price.”
- On voting rules, Spanberger voted for the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. “Supports the General Assembly’s work to add a restoration of voting rights amendment to the Virginia Constitution.
Winsome Earle-Sears (R)
Earle-Sears is currently Lt. Gov. of Virginia, elected in 2021.
Here’s where she stands on key issues, according to guides.vote:
- On abortion, Earles-Sears opposes adding reproductive rights to the Virginia Constitution. Supports a 15-week ban, after supporting a six-week ban in 2021. Voted against guaranteeing a right to contraception in Virginia law.
- On climate change, she has supported offshore oil and gas drilling, and supports an all-the-above energy strategy: “clean coal. Oil … renewables. Nuclear. Natural gas.”
- On criminal justice, she would be “tough on crime.” Her “position is simple: Protect innocent Virginians, prosecute criminals.”
- On the economy, Earles-Sears wants to increase rural broadband. Would “scour the government books to cut wasteful government spending.” Would strengthen public-private partnerships.
- On DOGE layoffs and cuts, Sears said Virginians will “be all right.” Fired federal workers should apply for private sector jobs in the Commonwealth. “We don’t want folks to lose their jobs,” but losing a job “happens to everybody all the time,” she said.
- On education, she supports using state public funds to pay for private schools. Would divert a portion of state per-pupil funds from public to private schools. Supports funding more charter schools.
- On teaching about racism, she said, “Slavery happened, absolutely. And there are some vestiges of it. But how long are we going to go back there?” “We don’t have time to teach about oppression … I am proof we are progressing.”
- On gun laws, Earle-Sears said, “Gun control laws infringe on the right to self-defense and deny people a sense of safety. Gun control laws DO NOT deter crime; rather it is gun ownership that deters crime.” Supports a strong Second Amendment.
- On healthcare, there was no position found on Medicaid. She supports more funding for mental health initiatives.
- On immigration, she would make local police cooperate fully with ICE, and “opposes sanctuary cities.” Said, “Every state [is] a border state.” “We are finally deporting criminal illegal immigrants.”
- On labor, Earle-Sears would make it harder for unions to organize. She Is a “staunch supporter” of Virginia’s “right to work” law (where employees at a unionized business are allowed to not pay union dues), to protect “workers from heavy-handed union bosses.” She opposes the PRO Act.
- On LGBTQ rights, Earle-Sears is “morally opposed” to a bill that stops any Virginia official from denying a marriage license on the basis of sex, gender, or race. Has opposed same-sex marriage: “I emphatically support a constitutional amendment preserving the institution of marriage to be between a man and a woman.”
- On marijuana, in 2021, she opposed recreational marijuana legalization as “a gateway drug.” Said, “I’m not against medicinal marijuana.”
- On minimum wage, no position found
- On tariffs, she praised the Trump tariff plan. The tariffs are “to our benefit, after all.” Said, “President Trump is doing the work to put America first again.”
- On voting rules, Earle-Sears supports new Virginia voter ID requirements and strict vote-by-mail procedures.
The House of Delegates Race
Control of Virginia’s House of Delegates—one of two chambers of its state legislature—will also be decided in November. Democrats currently hold narrow majorities: 51-49 in the House of Delegates, and 21-19 in the Senate.
This year, all 100 House seats are up for grabs, and even a one-seat flip could shift control. (Only Virginia’s House of Delegates is up for reelection in November 2025; the next Virginia Senate election is scheduled for 2027, as all 40 Senate seats were last up in November 2023 and those terms run for four years.)
The bicameral Virginia General Assembly wields enormous influence, including authority over the state budget, redistricting, passing bills into state law and deciding whether proposed conditional amendments make it onto the ballot.
Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s election in 2021, partisan control has been split between the executive branch and the legislature, stalling both parties’ major priorities. This year, the state legislature could vote to allow constitutional amendment on the ballot to enshrine abortion rights into the constitution—a measure that requires approval from both chambers. Twice.
The 19th reports that some of the most competitive races feature Democratic women candidates openly discussing personal experiences with miscarraige or abortion, such as Kimberly Pope Adams running in central Virginia. Jessica Anderson, who lost to Del. Amanda Batten (R), in 2023 by just 700 votes, is challenging her again in November. Batten has opposed abortion protections, voting against the ballot measure in January and supporting both Roe’s reversal and a 15-week ban proposed by Youngkin.
“I don’t want to live in a state where my daughters’ rights and access is stripped away,” Jessica Anderson told The 19th. “In my particular race, I’m making this issue relevant, and there are a lot of parts of Virginia that recognize this is something that we need to protect.”
Two other proposed constitutional amendments also hang in the balance: repealing Virginia’s 2006 ban on same-sex marriage to enshrine marraige equality, and restoring voting rights to people with felony convictions after serving their sentences. Their chances of reaching the ballot depend on whether Democrats keep control.
For a complete breakdown of the legislature’s views and bills, read guide.votes’ Virginia Legislative Elections Guide 2025: Virginia Democrats vs Virginia Republicans.
Logistics for Casting Your Vote
As of 2022, Virginia offers same-day voter registration. This means when polls are open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., you can register at your polling place, cast a provisional ballot and your vote will count once your eligibility is confirmed.
Find your polling place here. An individual is eligible to vote if they are a U.S. citizen, over the age of 18 and have lived in the state for at least 30 days prior to the election.
To get things done before Election Day, you can register to vote online, by mail or in person.
- To register online, fill out and submit the form here by Oct. 24 at 5 p.m..
- To register by mail, download and print the form here, then send it to your local voter registration office by Oct. 24.
- You may also register in person at your local registration office any time up to Election Day.
If you don’t have a state-issued ID, you must register in person or by mail.
Early voting began on Sept. 19 and runs through Nov. 1. During that 45 day period you can vote in person at your local registrars office or a satellite location.
Absentee and mail-in voting are also available to all voters. After registering, you must request a mail ballot by Oct. 24. If you are returning your ballot by mail, it must be postmarked on or before Nov. 5. Before Election Day you can drop it off at your voter registration office or its drop-off/satellite location. You can also drop it off on Election Day at your voter registration office, or any polling place at 7 p.m.
If you are a college student living in Virginia, you can submit a voter registration form using your school address as long as you’ve lived there for at least 30 days before Election Day. After that, like any other registered voter you can vote in person on Election Day, vote early beginning 45 days ahead of the election or vote absentee by mail. If you are from Virginia living outside of the state, you can submit an absentee ballot if you want to vote in your home state.
