2025 Virginia gubernatorial election: Difference between revisions

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{{Election box begin|title=2025 Virginia gubernatorial election<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://enr.elections.virginia.gov/results/public/virginia/elections/2025-November-General|title=2025 November General|last=O’Bannon|first=John|author-link=John O’Bannon|date=November 4, 2025|work=[[Virginia Department of Elections]]|access-date=November 4, 2025}}</ref>}}

{{Election box begin|title=2025 Virginia gubernatorial election<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://enr.elections.virginia.gov/results/public/virginia/elections/2025-November-General|title=2025 November General|last=O’Bannon|first=John|author-link=John O’Bannon|date=November 4, 2025|work=[[Virginia Department of Elections]]|access-date=November 4, 2025}}</ref>}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=[[Abigail Spanberger]]|votes=1,976,857{{Efn|All general election results are unofficial.}}|percentage=57.58%|change=+8.94%}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=[[Abigail Spanberger]]|votes=1,976,857|percentage=57.58%|change=+8.94%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=[[Winsome Earle-Sears]]|votes=1,449,586{{Efn|All general election results are unofficial.}}|percentage=42.22%|change=−8.36%}}

{{Election box candidate with party link|party=Republican Party (United States)|candidate=[[Winsome Earle-Sears]]|votes=1,449,586|percentage=42.22%|change=−8.36%}}

{{Election box write-in with party link|votes=6,897|percentage=0.20%|change=+0.12%}}

{{Election box write-in with party link|votes=6,897|percentage=0.20%|change=+0.12%}}

2025 Virginia gubernatorial election
Turnout 54.04%[a]Decrease 0.86[1][b]



Spanberger:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Earle-Sears:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:      50%      No votes

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2025, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia’s statewide offices and the House of Delegates. Incumbent Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms.

Neither former Democratic U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger nor Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears received opposition in their primaries, which led to an earlier campaign. In April 2025, Spanberger and Earle-Sears were confirmed as the major party nominees. Spanberger defeated Earle-Sears by 527,271 votes — the largest gubernatorial win for either party since the 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election, winning in a landslide. She was elected the first female governor in the state’s history.

Spanberger’s victory was attributed to voter discontentment with the economy and with Republican president Donald Trump‘s 2025 layoffs of federal workers. According to the CNN exit poll, Trump had a 39% job approval rating among Virginia voters on Election Day. Spanberger is scheduled to be sworn in as the 75th governor of Virginia on January 17, 2026.

Although most polls, analysts, and ratings considered Spanberger to be the favorite to win, she won by a greater-than-expected margin of approximately 15%, significantly greater than Kamala Harris‘s margin of victory of 6% in 2024. Spanberger flipped many counties and independent cities that had not voted Democratic in decades. Spanberger’s margin of victory was the largest for any Democratic gubernatorial candidate since Albertis Harrison won by 27 percentage points in 1961. Spanberger’s final vote total of nearly 2 million is the largest gubernatorial vote total in Virginia history.

Background

Virginia is considered to be a moderately blue state at the federal level, which was carried by Kamala Harris by about six percentage points in the 2024 presidential election, and the last time a Republican won a federal statewide race was in the 2004 presidential election. Democrats control both U.S. Senate seats and the minimum majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. From May 21 until September 10, 2025, Virginia’s 11th congressional district was vacant following the death of Democratic representative Gerry Connolly. This temporarily gave Virginia a split House delegation between Democrats and Republicans until Democrat James Walkinshaw won the special election on September 9.[2] However, statewide offices tend to be more competitive as Republicans won all three statewide constitutional offices in the 2021 elections, all of which were up for election in 2025.[3][4][5]

President Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal workforce were considered to be a potential issue in the election, given that many federal workers reside in Northern Virginia.[6] A July 2025 Virginia Commonwealth University poll found that the most important issues for voters in the campaign were the economy (29%), immigration (14%) and abortion (14%).[7]

Republican primary

Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears was initially viewed as the presumptive Republican nominee for governor.[8] After poor initial polling, and growing dissatisfaction with the lieutenant governor in factions of the party, Earle-Sears drew two challengers: former state senator Amanda Chase and former state delegate Dave LaRock. Both challengers positioned themselves as more loyal to President Donald Trump.[9][10] Ultimately, neither of them gathered the required signatures to be on the ballot, and Earle-Sears was nominated unopposed.[11]

Candidates

Nominee

Failed to qualify

Declined

Endorsements

Amanda Chase (disqualified)

Polling

Hypothetical polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[c] 		Margin
of error 		Jason
Miyares 		Winsome
Earle-Sears 		Undecided
Cygnal (R)[17] October 27–29, 2024 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 12% 48% 40%
Cygnal (R)[18] March 13–14, 2024 510 (LV) ± 4.3% 16% 44% 41%
Differentiators Data[19] February 21–24, 2023 500 (LV) ± 4.5% 17% 48% 35%

Fundraising

Primary campaign finance activity through March 31, 2025
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Winsome Earle-Sears $5,677,456 $1,630,867 $4,046,590
Amanda Chase (failed to qualify) $34,835 $51,204 $1,538
Dave LaRock (failed to qualify) $26,874 $25,813 $1,060
Source: Virginia Public Access Project[20]

Democratic primary

On November 13, 2023, U.S. representative Abigail Spanberger declared her candidacy for governor – she decided not to run for reelection to the House of Representatives in 2024.[21] In 2020, she received advice from then-governor Ralph Northam to someday run for governor.[22]

On December 4, 2023, former mayor of Richmond, Levar Stoney declared his candidacy for governor one month after Spanberger announced her bid. He was the considered the underdog in primary polls with low statewide name recognition.[23][24] On April 22, 2024 – before the filing deadline in April 2025 – Stoney withdrew from the race to avoid the potentially complicated primary. He instead, unsuccessfully, sought to be the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in the June Democratic primary.[25][26]

In December 2023, U.S. Representative Bobby Scott, explored the possibility to run for governor despite doubt from “top Democratic sources” for his announcement to do so. There was concern from senior Virginia Democrats over Spanberger’s ability to win over black voters after Republican Donald Trump made inroads with minorities in the 2024 Election – especially with Earle-Sears likely to be the Republican nominee.[27] In late February, Scott hinted he would not run for governor.[28] Ultimately, he did not file an official candidacy before the deadline.

On April 3, 2025, Spanberger became the official Democratic nominee for governor after no other candidate filed their candidacy before the deadline on April 4, 2025. This effectively canceled the primary election originally scheduled for June 17, 2025.[29]

Candidates

Nominee

Withdrawn

Declined

Endorsements

Levar Stoney (withdrawn)

State officials

State legislators

Local officials

Polling

Fundraising

Primary campaign finance activity through March 31, 2025
Candidate Raised Spent Cash on hand
Abigail Spanberger $16,301,998 $5,297,212 $11,004,790
Source: Virginia Public Access Project[20]

Third parties and independents

Candidates

Withdrawn

General election

Campaign

Hashmi speaking at a bus rally in Fairfax, Virginia with Jay Jones and Abigail Spanberger
Incumbent Lieutenant-Governor Winsome Earle-Sears campaigning.

This election was the first gubernatorial election in Virginia history in which both major party nominees were female.[37]

In mid-July, Earle-Sears changed campaign managers after trailing Spanberger in fundraising and polling.[38] On August 21, an opponent of Earle-Sears held up a sign outside her speech at an Arlington County School Board meeting stating “Hey Winsome, if trans [sic] can’t share your bathroom, then Blacks can’t share my water fountain“, which received widespread attention and was condemned by both Earle-Sears and Spanberger.[39][40]

The impact of the Department of Government Efficiency and Trump’s federal mass layoffs reinforced the economy as the top issue for voters, particularly during the October federal government shutdown.[41][42] During an interview on September 30 with Meet the Press, Earle-Sears did not answer whether she would ask Trump not to fire any more federal workers.[43]

In October 2025, following messages revealed by the National Review of Jay Jones encouraging political violence towards former Virginia Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert, Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi called for Jones to apologize and take full responsibility for his messages. Governor Glenn Youngkin called for both of them to call for Jay Jones to step down as a candidate, though neither did. Earle-Sears spent $1 million on ads in the wake of the scandal tying Jones to Spanberger.[44][45]

Throughout the campaign, Earle-Sears mostly ran campaign attack ads on Spanberger on transgender issues, replicating the attack ads against Kamala Harris for being “for they/them” in the 2024 United States presidential election, despite top election issues being the economy, affordability, threats against democracy and the federal workforce.[46][47] By contrast, the Spanberger campaign attacked Earle-Sears’ stance on abortion and attempted to tie her closely to President Trump.[citation needed]

In October 2025, during a football game at James Madison University, a fan hurled a racist remark at Earle-Sears, telling her to “go back to Haiti.” The incident was quickly condemned and the fan was suspended from attending all future sporting events.[48]

The in-person early voting period ran from September 19 to November 1, 2025.[49]

Debates

Spanberger and Earle-Sears met on October 9, 2025 at Norfolk State University for their one televised debate.[50] Topics discussed during the debate included the Virginia car tax, text messages sent by Jay Jones, the federal government shutdown, affordability, energy and data centers, parents’ roles in education, policies relating to transgender students in K-12 schools, reproductive rights, and policies related to marijuana.[51] During the debate, Sears pressed on Spanberger to call for Jones to exit the race and whether she still endorses Jones.[52] When asked on whether she would tell Trump to reopen the government, Sears accused Spanberger of “politicizing” the 2025 federal mass firings by the Trump administration. Spanberger claimed that Sears had previously stated that same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry and that firing employees for being gay was acceptable. After both claims, Sears interrupted Spanberger by adding “that’s not discrimination”.[52][53] When asked about these comments in an interview on October 28, she claimed that she had misspoken and that she meant to say that she had not personally discriminated against gay people in that manner.[54]

2025 Virginia gubernatorial debates
No. Date Host Moderators Link Republican Democratic
Key:
 P  Participant   A  Absent   N  Not invited   I  Invited  W  Withdrawn
Earle-Sears Spanberger
1 October 9, 2025 WAVY-TV
Norfolk State University 		Deanna Albrittin
Tom Schaad 		[55] P P

Predictions

Endorsements

Winsome Earle-Sears (R)

Executive branch officials
U.S. senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Local officials
Individuals
Organizations

Abigail Spanberger (D)

Executive branch officials
U.S. Senators
U.S. representatives
Statewide officials
State legislators
Individuals
Organizations

Polling

Aggregate polls

Source of poll
aggregation 		Dates
administered 		Dates
updated 		Abigail
Spanberger (D) 		Winsome
Earle-Sears (R) 		Other/Undecided
[e] 		Margin
Decision Desk HQ[114] through November 3, 2025 November 3, 2025 52.3% 43.1% 4.6% Spanberger +9.2%
FiftyPlusOne[115] through November 3, 2025 November 3, 2025 53.1% 42.4% 4.5% Spanberger +10.7%
Race to the WH[116] through November 3, 2025 November 4, 2025 52.3% 42.8% 4.9% Spanberger +9.5%
RealClearPolitics[117] October 16 – November 3, 2025 November 3, 2025 52.9% 42.7% 4.4% Spanberger +10.2%
VoteHub[118] through November 3, 2025 November 3, 2025 52.1% 42.9% 5.0% Spanberger +9.2%
Average 52.5% 42.8% 4.7% Spanberger +9.7%
Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[c] 		Margin
of error 		Winsome
Earle-Sears (R) 		Abigail
Spanberger (D) 		Other Undecided
Quantus Insights (R)[119] November 3, 2025 1,201 (LV) ± 2.7% 44% 53% 1% 2%
InsiderAdvantage (R)[120] November 2–3, 2025 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 40% 50% 5%[f] 5%
Research Co.[121] November 2–3, 2025 423 (LV) ± 4.6% 46% 54% – –
450 (LV) 43% 51% – 6%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[122] November 1–2, 2025 1,057 (LV) ± 2.9% 43% 50% 1%[g] 6%
Emerson College[123][B] October 30–31, 2025 880 (LV) ± 3.2% 44% 55% 0% 1%
Echelon Insights[124] October 28–31, 2025 606 (LV) ± 4.7% 43% 55% – 2%
AtlasIntel[125] October 25–30, 2025 1,325 (LV) ± 3.0% 45% 54% 0%[h] 1%
SoCal Strategies (R)[126][C] October 28–29, 2025 800 (LV) – 43% 53% – 4%
State Navigate[127] October 26–28, 2025 614 (LV) ± 4.0% 41% 54% – 5%
InsiderAdvantage (R)/
The Trafalgar Group (R)[128] 		October 27–28, 2025 800 (LV) ± 3.5% 42% 46% 4%[i] 8%
Roanoke College[129] October 22–27, 2025 1,041 (LV) ± 4.1% 41% 51% 3%[j] 5%
YouGov[130] October 17–28, 2025 1,179 (LV) ± 4.0% 42% 57% 2% –
41% 55% 0% 4%
A2 Insights[131] October 24–26, 2025 776 (LV) – 46% 54% – 1%
Christopher Newport University[132] October 21–23, 2025 803 (LV) ± 4.1% 43% 50% – 6%
Suffolk University[133] October 19–21, 2025 500 (LV) ± 4.4% 43% 52% 1%[k] 4%
Quantus Insights (R)[134] October 19–20, 2025 1,302 (RV) ± 2.8% 46% 51% 1% 2%
State Navigate[135] October 17–20, 2025 694 (LV) ± 4.0% 42% 55% – 3%
The Washington Post/Schar School[136] October 16–20, 2025 927 (LV) ± 3.5% 42% 54% 2%[l] 2%
927 (RV) 40% 53% 5%[m] 2%
Kaplan Strategies (R)[137] October 16–18, 2025 556 (LV) ± 4.2% 41% 51% – 7%
co/efficient (R)[138] October 15–17, 2025 937 (LV) ± 3.2% 44% 49% 1%[g] 6%
Clarity Campaign Labs (D)[139][D] October 14–17, 2025 958 (RV) ± 3.2% 43% 53% – 4%
The Trafalgar Group (R)/
InsiderAdvantage (R)[140] 		October 13–15, 2025 1,039 (LV) ± 2.9% 45% 47% 1%[g] 6%
Virginia Commonwealth University[141] October 6–14, 2025 842 (A) ± 4.0% 42% 49% – 9%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[142] October 8–10, 2025 1,034 (LV) ± 2.9% 45% 48% 2%[n] 6%
Public Policy Polling (D)[143][E] October 7–8, 2025 558 (RV) – 43% 52% – 5%
Cygnal (R)[144] October 6–7, 2025 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 45% 49% – 6%
Christopher Newport University[145] September 29 – October 1, 2025 805 (RV) ± 3.9% 42% 52% – 6%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[146] September 29 – October 1, 2025 1,034 (LV) ± 2.9% 42% 47% 2%[n] 9%
Emerson College[147][B] September 28–29, 2025 725 (LV) ± 3.6% 42% 52% – 5%
The Washington Post/Schar School[148] September 25–29, 2025 1,002 (LV) ± 3.4% 43% 55% 1%[o] 2%
1,002 (RV) 40% 53% 4%[p] 3%
A2 Insights[149] September 16–28, 2025 771 (LV) – 45% 48% 1%[q] 6%
co/efficient (R)[150] September 22–23, 2025 1,024 (LV) ± 3.1% 43% 49% 1%[g] 7%
OnMessage Inc. (R)[151] September 15–18, 2025 800 (V) ± 3.5% 45% 50% – 5%
Christopher Newport University[152] September 8–14, 2025 808 (RV) ± 3.9% 40% 52% – 8%
Cygnal (R)[144] September 7, 2025 – (V) – 43% 50% – 7%
Pulse Decision Science (R)[153][F] September 3–5, 2025 512 (LV) ± 4.4% 43% 48% 1%[g] 8%
SoCal Strategies (R)[154][G] August 31 – September 1, 2025 700 (LV) – 41% 53% – 6%
Virginia Commonwealth University[155] August 18–28, 2025 764 (RV) ± 4.1% 40% 49% 2%[r] 11%
co/efficient (R)[156] August 23–26, 2025 1,025 (LV) ± 3.1% 43% 48% 3%[s] 7%
Roanoke College[157][158] August 11–15, 2025 702 (LV) ± 4.3% 39% 46% 1%[t] 14%
Wick Insights[159] July 9–11, 2025 1,000 (LV) ± 3.0% 40% 50% 2%[n] 8%
American Directions Research Group/AARP[160] June 25 – July 8, 2025 1,001 (LV) ± 3.1% 34% 49% 8%[u] 9%
Virginia Commonwealth University[161] June 19–July 3, 2025 806 (A) ± 4.7% 37% 49% 2%[r] 12%
co/efficient (R)[162][H] June 8–10, 2025 1,127 (LV) ± 3.1% 43% 46% 2%[n] 9%
Roanoke College[163][164] May 12–19, 2025 609 (RV) ± 5.3% 26% 43% 3%[v] 28%
Pantheon Insight/HarrisX[165][I] May 9–13, 2025 1,000 (LV) ± 3.1% 48% 52% – –
45% 48% 7%[w] –
Cygnal (R)[166] February 26–28, 2025 600 (LV) ± 4.0% 40% 46% – 14%
Roanoke College[167] February 17–20, 2025 690 (RV) ± 4.7% 24% 39% 4%[x] 33%
co/efficient (R)[168][J] January 18–20, 2025 867 (LV) ± 3.3% 40% 40% 5%[y] 15%
Virginia Commonwealth University[169] December 18, 2024 – January 15, 2025 806 (A) ± 4.7% 34% 44% 5%[z] 17%
Christopher Newport University[170] January 6–13, 2025 806 (RV) ± 3.6% 39% 44% 6%[aa] 12%
Emerson College[171][B] January 6–8, 2025 1,000 (RV) ± 3.0% 41% 42% 4%[x] 13%
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[172] December 15–19, 2024 625 (RV) ± 4.0% 44% 47% – 9%
Research America Inc.[173][K] September 3–9, 2024 1,000 (A) ± 3.1% 39% 39% 10%[ab] 12%
co/efficient (R)[174][H] September 7–10, 2023 834 (LV) ± 3.4% 26% 27% – 47%

Hypothetical polling

Winsome Earle-Sears vs. Bobby Scott

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size 		Margin
of error 		Winsome
Earle-Sears (R) 		Bobby
Scott (D) 		Undecided
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[172] December 15–19, 2024 625 (RV) ± 4.0% 46% 44% 10%

Jason Miyares vs. Abigail Spanberger

Poll source Date(s)
administered 		Sample
size[c] 		Margin
of error 		Jason
Miyares (R) 		Abigail
Spanberger (D) 		Undecided
Research America Inc.[173][K] September 3–9, 2024 1,000 (A) ± 3.1% 39% 40% 12%
co/efficient (R)[174][H] September 7–10, 2023 834 (LV) ± 3.4% 22% 26% 52%

Results

On November 4, 2025, Spanberger defeated Earle-Sears[175] in a landslide, winning by the widest margin for a Democrat since 1961.[176] Spanberger is scheduled to be sworn in as the 75th governor of Virginia and the state’s first female governor on January 17, 2026.[177]

By county and independent city

Locality[179] Winsome Earle-Sears
Republican 		Abigail Spanberger
Democratic 		Write-in
Various 		Margin Total
# % # % # % # %
Accomack 7,129 54.57% 5,925 45.35% 10 0.08% −1,204 −9.22% 13,064
Albemarle 16,480 29.48% 39,322 70.35% 93 0.17% 22,842 40.87% 55,895
Alexandria 10,424 16.59% 52,230 83.11% 190 0.30% 41,806 66.52% 62,844
Alleghany 4,011 69.14% 1,779 30.67% 11 0.19% −2,232 −38.48% 5,801
Amelia 4,521 71.08% 1,831 28.79% 8 0.13% −2,690 −42.30% 6,360
Amherst 8,811 67.13% 4,294 32.72% 20 0.15% −4,517 −34.42% 13,125
Appomattox 5,609 75.94% 1,765 23.90% 12 0.16% −3,844 −52.04% 7,386
Arlington 15,929 15.96% 83,657 83.81% 235 0.24% 67,728 67.85% 99,821
Augusta 24,612 71.98% 9,522 27.85% 60 0.18% −15,090 −44.13% 34,194
Bath 1,421 74.05% 493 25.69% 5 0.26% −928 −48.36% 1,919
Bedford 29,166 74.27% 10,048 25.59% 57 0.15% −19,118 −48.68% 39,271
Bland 1,974 81.64% 441 18.24% 3 0.12% −1,533 −63.40% 2,418
Botetourt 11,820 70.27% 4,969 29.54% 32 0.19% −6,851 −40.73% 16,821
Bristol 3,090 64.96% 1,660 34.90% 7 0.15% −1,430 −30.06% 4,757
Brunswick 2,591 43.66% 3,338 56.25% 5 0.08% 747 12.59% 5,934
Buchanan 4,434 81.91% 971 17.94% 8 0.15% −3,463 −63.98% 5,413
Buckingham 3,586 59.22% 2,456 40.56% 13 0.21% −1,130 −18.66% 6,055
Buena Vista 1,392 66.38% 696 33.19% 9 0.43% −696 −33.19% 2,097
Campbell 16,878 73.25% 6,130 26.60% 34 0.15% −10,748 −46.65% 23,042
Caroline 6,680 49.72% 6,733 50.11% 23 0.17% 53 0.39% 13,436
Carroll 8,889 78.33% 2,433 21.44% 26 0.23% −6,456 −56.89% 11,348
Charles City 1,485 42.53% 2,002 57.33% 5 0.14% 517 14.81% 3,492
Charlotte 3,159 67.07% 1,545 32.80% 6 0.13% −1,614 −34.27% 4,710
Charlottesville 2,056 10.88% 16,799 88.93% 35 0.19% 14,743 78.05% 18,890
Chesapeake 42,147 43.77% 53,971 56.06% 164 0.17% 11,824 12.28% 96,282
Chesterfield 70,021 40.97% 100,595 58.86% 294 0.17% 30,574 17.89% 170,910
Clarke 4,222 55.34% 3,389 44.42% 18 0.24% −833 −10.92% 7,629
Colonial Heights 4,092 62.12% 2,474 37.56% 21 0.32% −1,618 −24.56% 6,587
Covington 999 59.57% 678 40.43% 0 0.00% −321 −19.14% 1,677
Craig 1,806 79.25% 467 20.49% 6 0.26% −1,339 −58.75% 2,279
Culpeper 12,592 57.66% 9,214 42.19% 33 0.15% −3,378 −15.47% 21,839
Cumberland 2,609 59.03% 1,803 40.79% 8 0.18% −806 −18.24% 4,420
Danville 4,592 37.34% 7,678 62.43% 29 0.24% 3,086 25.09% 12,299
Dickenson 3,427 76.80% 1,028 23.04% 7 0.16% −2,399 −53.77% 4,462
Dinwiddie 7,028 58.19% 5,031 41.65% 19 0.16% −1,997 −16.53% 12,078
Emporia 544 32.65% 1,119 67.17% 3 0.18% 575 34.51% 1,666
Essex 2,572 52.82% 2,289 47.01% 8 0.16% −283 −5.81% 4,869
Fairfax City 2,847 27.28% 7,552 72.37% 36 0.34% 4,705 45.09% 10,435
Fairfax County 116,053 25.95% 329,977 73.78% 1,222 0.27% 213,924 47.83% 447,252
Falls Church 1,181 15.54% 6,407 84.30% 12 0.16% 5,226 68.76% 7,600
Fauquier 19,894 57.55% 14,610 42.27% 62 0.18% −5,284 −15.29% 34,566
Floyd 4,806 64.73% 2,603 35.06% 16 0.22% −2,203 −29.67% 7,425
Fluvanna 6,718 49.95% 6,712 49.91% 19 0.14% −6 −0.04% 13,449
Franklin City 1,084 36.93% 1,849 63.00% 2 0.07% 765 26.06% 2,935
Franklin County 16,317 70.37% 6,836 29.48% 36 0.16% −9,481 −40.89% 23,189
Frederick 23,130 59.32% 15,809 40.55% 51 0.13% −7,321 −18.78% 38,990
Fredericksburg 2,943 27.93% 7,561 71.76% 33 0.31% 4,618 43.83% 10,537
Galax 1,284 68.23% 597 31.72% 1 0.05% −687 −36.50% 1,882
Giles 4,983 73.48% 1,782 26.28% 16 0.24% −3,201 −47.21% 6,781
Gloucester 11,399 65.73% 5,912 34.09% 30 0.17% −5,487 −31.64% 17,341
Goochland 9,726 56.91% 7,339 42.95% 24 0.14% −2,387 −13.97% 17,089
Grayson 4,614 78.35% 1,264 21.46% 11 0.19% −3,350 −56.89% 5,889
Greene 5,458 57.39% 4,036 42.44% 16 0.17% −1,422 −14.95% 9,510
Greensville 1,427 42.76% 1,902 57.00% 8 0.24% 475 14.23% 3,337
Halifax 8,027 60.26% 5,272 39.58% 22 0.17% −2,755 −20.68% 13,321
Hampton 12,103 25.58% 35,129 74.23% 91 0.19% 23,026 48.66% 47,323
Hanover 36,278 60.10% 23,994 39.75% 95 0.16% −12,284 −20.35% 60,367
Harrisonburg 3,654 27.70% 9,512 72.12% 23 0.17% 5,858 44.42% 13,189
Henrico 45,627 30.53% 103,559 69.30% 260 0.17% 57,932 38.76% 149,446
Henry 11,150 63.71% 6,320 36.11% 30 0.17% −4,830 −27.60% 17,500
Highland 831 69.60% 362 30.32% 1 0.08% −469 −39.28% 1,194
Hopewell 2,610 39.10% 4,052 60.70% 13 0.19% 1,442 21.60% 6,675
Isle of Wight 10,931 56.95% 8,227 42.86% 37 0.19% −2,704 −14.09% 19,195
James City 19,029 44.57% 23,603 55.28% 63 0.15% 4,574 10.71% 42,695
King and Queen 1,985 60.50% 1,292 39.38% 4 0.12% −693 −21.12% 3,281
King George 6,909 59.33% 4,716 40.50% 20 0.17% −2,193 −18.83% 11,645
King William 6,033 66.56% 3,020 33.32% 11 0.12% −3,013 −33.24% 9,064
Lancaster 3,283 54.44% 2,734 45.34% 13 0.22% −549 −9.10% 6,030
Lee 5,439 84.13% 1,019 15.76% 7 0.11% −4,420 −68.37% 6,465
Lexington 686 31.66% 1,475 68.07% 6 0.28% 789 36.41% 2,167
Loudoun 59,278 35.22% 108,594 64.52% 444 0.26% 49,316 29.30% 168,316
Louisa 11,279 59.52% 7,628 40.25% 44 0.23% −3,651 −19.27% 18,951
Lunenburg 2,682 59.61% 1,806 40.14% 11 0.24% −876 −19.47% 4,499
Lynchburg 13,508 50.41% 13,231 49.38% 56 0.21% −277 −1.03% 26,795
Madison 4,259 64.01% 2,386 35.86% 9 0.14% −1,873 −28.15% 6,654
Manassas 4,036 34.42% 7,671 65.42% 18 0.15% 3,635 31.00% 11,725
Manassas Park 1,151 28.72% 2,852 71.16% 5 0.12% 1,701 42.44% 4,008
Martinsville 1,451 36.35% 2,534 63.48% 7 0.18% 1,083 27.13% 3,992
Mathews 3,242 67.51% 1,555 32.38% 5 0.10% −1,687 −35.13% 4,802
Mecklenburg 7,151 60.50% 4,657 39.40% 11 0.09% −2,494 −21.10% 11,819
Middlesex 3,473 61.44% 2,174 38.46% 6 0.11% −1,299 −22.98% 5,653
Montgomery 15,228 41.46% 21,428 58.34% 76 0.21% 6,200 16.88% 36,732
Nelson 3,828 49.55% 3,880 50.23% 17 0.22% 52 0.67% 7,725
New Kent 8,804 63.28% 5,087 36.56% 22 0.16% −3,717 −26.72% 13,913
Newport News 17,461 30.91% 38,936 68.93% 92 0.16% 21,475 38.02% 56,489
Norfolk 15,509 24.15% 48,599 75.68% 111 0.17% 33,090 51.53% 64,219
Northampton 2,469 44.59% 3,060 55.26% 8 0.14% 591 10.67% 5,537
Northumberland 4,132 60.47% 2,685 39.29% 16 0.23% −1,447 −21.18% 6,833
Norton 721 68.34% 332 31.47% 2 0.19% −389 −36.87% 1,055
Nottoway 3,122 57.91% 2,258 41.88% 11 0.20% −864 −16.03% 5,391
Orange 9,938 57.34% 7,361 42.47% 33 0.19% −2,577 −14.87% 17,332
Page 6,940 74.39% 2,365 25.35% 24 0.26% −4,575 −49.04% 9,329
Patrick 5,119 77.42% 1,488 22.50% 5 0.08% −3,631 −54.92% 6,612
Petersburg 1,124 11.29% 8,811 88.46% 25 0.25% 7,687 77.18% 9,960
Pittsylvania 17,439 70.46% 7,272 29.38% 38 0.15% −10,167 −41.08% 24,749
Poquoson 4,384 70.01% 1,862 29.73% 16 0.26% −2,522 −40.27% 6,262
Portsmouth 8,351 26.55% 23,040 73.25% 62 0.20% 14,689 46.70% 31,453
Powhatan 11,862 69.57% 5,168 30.31% 21 0.12% −6,694 −39.26% 17,051
Prince Edward 3,668 49.20% 3,767 50.53% 20 0.27% 99 1.33% 7,455
Prince George 7,986 58.27% 5,707 41.64% 13 0.09% −2,279 −16.63% 13,706
Prince William 54,309 32.74% 111,198 67.03% 381 0.23% 56,889 34.29% 165,888
Pulaski 8,607 68.55% 3,927 31.28% 22 0.18% −4,680 −37.27% 12,556
Radford 2,050 43.68% 2,632 56.08% 11 0.23% 582 12.40% 4,693
Rappahannock 2,231 55.10% 1,812 44.75% 6 0.15% −419 −10.35% 4,049
Richmond City 11,883 13.04% 79,019 86.73% 212 0.23% 67,136 73.68% 91,114
Richmond County 1,997 63.88% 1,124 35.96% 5 0.16% −873 −27.93% 3,126
Roanoke City 10,153 32.82% 20,700 66.91% 83 0.27% 10,547 34.09% 30,936
Roanoke County 24,728 57.66% 18,062 42.12% 97 0.23% −6,666 −15.54% 42,887
Rockbridge 6,599 64.93% 3,557 35.00% 7 0.07% −3,042 −29.93% 10,163
Rockingham 24,498 67.68% 11,622 32.11% 76 0.21% −12,876 −35.57% 36,196
Russell 7,268 81.13% 1,673 18.68% 17 0.19% −5,595 −62.46% 8,958
Salem 5,282 55.81% 4,150 43.85% 32 0.34% −1,132 −11.96% 9,464
Scott 6,103 83.00% 1,235 16.80% 15 0.20% −4,868 −66.20% 7,353
Shenandoah 12,488 68.53% 5,698 31.27% 37 0.20% −6,790 −37.26% 18,223
Smyth 7,712 76.90% 2,298 22.92% 18 0.18% −5,414 −53.99% 10,028
Southampton 4,492 60.34% 2,945 39.56% 8 0.11% −1,547 −20.78% 7,445
Spotsylvania 29,015 48.47% 30,748 51.36% 104 0.17% 1,733 2.89% 59,867
Stafford 27,774 43.94% 35,327 55.88% 115 0.18% 7,553 11.95% 63,216
Staunton 4,236 39.10% 6,580 60.73% 18 0.17% 2,344 21.64% 10,834
Suffolk 15,935 38.20% 25,696 61.60% 80 0.19% 9,761 23.40% 41,711
Surry 1,707 47.63% 1,873 52.26% 4 0.11% 166 4.63% 3,584
Sussex 1,802 46.91% 2,035 52.98% 4 0.10% 233 6.07% 3,841
Tazewell 10,407 82.10% 2,248 17.73% 21 0.17% −8,159 −64.37% 12,676
Virginia Beach 75,013 44.22% 94,339 55.62% 269 0.16% 19,326 11.39% 169,621
Warren 10,433 64.29% 5,757 35.47% 39 0.24% −4,676 −28.81% 16,229
Washington 15,614 74.21% 5,382 25.58% 43 0.20% −10,232 −48.63% 21,039
Waynesboro 4,037 47.46% 4,459 52.42% 11 0.13% 422 4.96% 8,507
Westmoreland 4,396 54.02% 3,733 45.88% 8 0.10% −663 −8.15% 8,137
Williamsburg 1,647 24.51% 5,063 75.35% 9 0.13% 3,416 50.84% 6,719
Winchester 3,485 39.52% 5,318 60.30% 16 0.18% 1,833 20.78% 8,819
Wise 8,744 79.15% 2,281 20.65% 22 0.20% −6,463 −58.50% 11,047
Wythe 8,426 76.29% 2,594 23.49% 24 0.22% −5,832 −52.81% 11,044
York 15,684 49.79% 15,769 50.06% 47 0.15% 85 0.27% 31,500
Totals 1,449,586 42.22% 1,976,857 57.58% 6,897 0.20% 527,271 15.36% 3,433,340
2025 Virginia Gubernatorial Election County and Independent City Flips

  Democratic Hold

  Democratic Flip

  Republican Hold

Counties and independent cities that flipped from Republican to Democratic

By congressional district

Spanberger won eight of 11 congressional districts, including two held by Republicans.[180]

Analysis

Map of the United States District Courts in Virginia, showing the boundaries of the Eastern and Western Districts, and their divisions.

Political analysts have described the election as a popularity indicator of the second presidency of Donald Trump in the state.[181][182]

Spanberger’s victory was attributed to anger in Northern Virginia over the mass layoffs of federal workers ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk as part of President Donald Trump‘s efforts to downsize the federal government. Additionally, many furloughed federal workers were energized by the ongoing federal government shutdown. Discontentment with the U.S. economy under Trump, which many Virginians blamed on his tariff policies, also played a factor in motivating Spanberger voters.[183]

Spanberger set a record for most votes received by a gubernatorial candidate in Virginia. She won the 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Rob Wittman since 2007, making her the first Democratic statewide candidate to win the district since 2008. Spanberger won every congressional district in the Tidewater Region (eastern Virginia), while Earle-Sears won every congressional district in the Upland South (western Virginia). Spanberger did best in Northern Virginia near the District of Columbia, while Earle-Sears did best in Appalachia near West Virginia.[184]

This is the first time since 1985 that a Democrat carried Spotsylvania County, a notable Republican stronghold, as well as Waynesboro City. Stafford County also flipped for the first time since 1985, though Harris won Stafford in 2024. Nelson County and Caroline County also voted Democratic for the first time since 2013. Earle-Sears narrowly retained Lynchburg, home to the evangelical Christian Liberty University, supported by a strong backing from white evangelical Christians, 80% of whom voted for her according to a CNN exit poll.[185] The city had narrowly flipped to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election before returning to a more comfortable margin for Donald Trump in 2024. James City County voted Democratic for the first time since 2005, although it voted Democratic in 2020 and 2024.

Spanberger’s closest victory was in York County (home to Yorktown, Virginia), which voted Democratic for the first time since 1965. York has not voted Democratic for president since 1964. Kamala Harris did win 46% in York in 2024, losing the county by 6%, the best performance in the county since 1964.[186]

With the exception of the 2013 election, Virginia has elected a governor of the opposite party of the sitting president of the United States in every election since 1977.[187] According to a CNN exit poll, Trump had just a 39% job approval rating among the general electorate in Virginia. Spanberger won 99% of Kamala Harris’s voters and 7% of Trump’s 2024 voters.[188]

CNN exit poll

2025 Virginia gubernatorial election voter demographics (CNN)[188]
Demographic subgroup Spanberger Earle-Sears % of
total vote
Ideology
Liberals 96 4 33
Moderates 69 31 33
Conservatives 10 90 35
Party
Democrats 99 1 36
Republicans 7 93 31
Independents 59 40 33
Donald Trump job approval
Approve 6 94 39
Disapprove 92 7 59
Most important issue facing Virginia
Economy 63 36 48
Health care 81 18 21
Education 55 45 11
Immigration 11 89 11
2024 presidential vote
Kamala Harris 99 1 51
Donald Trump 7 93 42
Another candidate 61 36 2
Did not vote 61 39 3
Gender
Men 48 51 47
Women 65 35 53
Income
$200,000 or more 64 36 14
$100,000-$199,999 51 48 28
$50,000-$99,999 58 42 31
Less than $50,000 63 37 26
Race/ethnicity
White 47 53 71
Asian 80 20 4
Latino 67 33 5
Black 93 7 16
White born-again or evangelical Christian?
Yes 20 80 28
No 71 29 72
Race by gender
White men 38 61 34
White women 54 46 36
Black men 89 11 7
Black women 96 3 9
Latino men 53 47 2
Latina women 78 22 2
All other voters 73 27 9
Age
18–29 years old 70 29 13
30–44 years old 62 38 20
45-64 years old 55 45 35
65 and older 51 49 32
Area type
Urban 66 34 19
Suburban 59 41 57
Rural 46 54 24
Education
College graduate 63 36 52
No college degree 50 49 48
Education by race
White college graduates 57 43 38
Non-white college graduates 80 19 14
Whites without college 34 66 33
Non-whites without college 85 15 15
Education by gender and race
White women with college degrees 65 35 20
White women without college degrees 39 60 16
White men with college degrees 48 52 18
White men without college degrees 29 71 17
Voters of color 83 17 30
Educational attainment
Advanced degree 68 32 23
Bachelor’s degree 60 40 29
Associate’s degree 53 47 10
Some college 55 45 17
Never attended college 46 54 21

See also

Notes

  1. ^ All general election results are unofficial.
  2. ^ All general election results are unofficial.
  3. ^ a b c d Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
  4. ^ Held office as a Republican
  5. ^ Calculated by taking the difference of 100% and all other candidates combined.
  6. ^ Donna Charles with 5%
  7. ^ a b c d e Donna Charles with 1%
  8. ^ “Would not vote” with 0%
  9. ^ Donna Charles with 4%
  10. ^ “Refused” with 2%; “Some other candidate” with 1%
  11. ^ “Refused” with 1%; Donna Charles with 0%
  12. ^ “Neither” and “Would not vote” with 1%
  13. ^ “Neither” with 3%; “Would not vote” with 2%
  14. ^ a b c d Donna Charles with 2%
  15. ^ “None of these” with 1%
  16. ^ “Neither” and “Would not vote” with 2%
  17. ^ “Other” with 1%
  18. ^ a b “Wouldn’t vote” with 1%; “Someone else” with 1%
  19. ^ Donna Charles with 3%
  20. ^ “Some other candidate” with 1%
  21. ^ Donna Charles with 8%
  22. ^ “Some other candidate” with 3%
  23. ^ Denver Riggleman with 7%
  24. ^ a b “Someone else” with 4%
  25. ^ “Someone else” with 5%
  26. ^ “Wouldn’t vote” with 4%; “Someone else” with 1%
  27. ^ “Someone else” with 2%. “Don’t know/Refused” with 4%
  28. ^ “None / Would not vote” with 5%; “Other candidate” with 4%; “Refused” with 1%
  29. ^ All general election results are unofficial.

Partisan clients

References

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