Candidates running for governor in Virginia have less than two weeks to submit the necessary signatures to qualify for the ballot, but it remains unclear whether Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears will face a Republican primary election.
Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran who immigrated to the United States from Jamaica as a child, submitted more than 19,000 signatures this week, securing her spot on the ballot.
Candidates for governor have until April 3 to turn in the required 10,000 signatures.
“We’re campaigning, and we’re going hot and hard,” Earle-Sears said in an interview with WTOP.
Earle-Sears has been endorsed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is term-limited.
Despite Youngkin’s show of support, some Republicans have publicly criticized Earle-Sears and said they intend to challenge her.
Former Del. Dave LaRock and former state Sen. Amanda Chase have both been collecting signatures, hoping to force a Republican primary, but it remains uncertain whether they will get 10,000 signatures in time.
When asked whether she was preparing for a primary, Earle-Sears said, “We prepare for everything.”
“As a Marine, you have to prepare for all contingencies, and you have to understand you may get a hit from over here, a hit from over there,” she said, adding that she doesn’t believe LaRock and Chase will qualify.
“I don’t think that they will do that, but if they do, we’re prepared,” she said.
Her GOP challengers have expressed disappointment over negative comments Earle-Sears made in the past about President Donald Trump.
In 2022, Earle-Sears said she was unwilling to support Trump’s presidential candidacy, calling him a “liability” for the party and saying, “It is time to move on.”
More recently, however, she has expressed public support for Trump, who has not weighed in on Virginia’s race as of yet.
“Of course, we hope to earn his endorsement,” Earle-Sears said.
The Republican nominee is expected to face former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the only candidate seeking the Democratic nomination. Spanberger submitted more than 40,000 signatures this week to qualify for the ballot.
Virginia is one of two states, along with New Jersey, that conducts statewide races, including its governor’s contest, in the year following a presidential election and will likely draw attention from politicos all over the country.
The off-year races are often seen as an early barometer of voter sentiment heading into midterm elections.
That’s especially true in Virginia, which has picked both Democrats and Republicans for its top offices in recent years, and this year’s contests will take place with Republicans in full control of the levers of power in nearby D.C.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.