The presumptive Republican nominee and Democratic candidate for Virginia’s governorship in 2025 are scheduled to speak today at the 2024 Virginia Economic Summit & Forum on International Trade in Richmond.
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears, the GOP front runner, is scheduled to speak shortly after 9 a.m., at the event, sponsored by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. In the afternoon, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger will address the crowd.
Earle Sears announced her candidacy in September. In November, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares who had been rumored as considering a run to be the GOP nominee for governor declared that he will instead run for a second term in the AG. This leaves the way clear for Earle Sears who has gained Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s endorsement. Youngkin cannot run for a second consecutive term of governor as per state law.
Mary Sue Terry was the only woman in Virginia history to have received a major-party nomination for governor. She served as attorney general of the state for two terms. She was a candidate for governor in 1993, but lost to Republican George Allen who went on to become a U.S. Senator.
Earle-Sears has also made history as Virginia’s first Black woman, and first immigrant woman to hold a statewide position. The Jamaican-born Earle Sears, a former delegate and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, took a unique path to reach the Virginia State Capitol. She has owned an appliance, plumbing, and electrical company, and managed a homeless shelter.
This article originally appeared in Virginia Business.
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