2025 Virginia gubernatorial election

For related races, see 2025 United States gubernatorial elections.

The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election will be held on November 4, 2025, to elect the governor of Virginia. Incumbent Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin will be ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits the state's governors from serving consecutive terms. Primary elections will take place on June 17, 2025.^[1]

2025 Virginia gubernatorial election

← 2021 November 4, 2025 2029 →

Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin Republican

Former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, and Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, are considered the front-runners for their respective party nominations. Either of them would be Virginia's first female governor,^[2] while Earle-Sears would also be the first Black female governor in U.S. history.^[3]

This is the only Republican-held governorship up for election in 2025. Democrat Kamala Harris won the state in the 2024 presidential election by 5.8%.^[4]

This election may be an indicator of the popularity of Trump's second presidency. With the exception of 2013, Virginia has elected a governor of the opposite party of the sitting president of the United States in every election since 1977.

Background

Virginia is considered to be a moderately blue state at the federal level, with Kamala Harris carrying Virginia 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, a majority in its U.S. representative congressional delegation, and the minimum majority in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly. However, statewide offices tend to be more competitive as Republicans flipped all three statewide constitutional offices in the 2021 elections, all of which are up for election in 2025.^[5][6][7]

Donald Trump's efforts to shrink the federal workforce is considered to be a potential issue in the election, given that many federal workers live in northern Virginia.^[8] Current predictions suggest the race is either a tossup or slightly leaning towards the Democrats (presumably Spanberger).^[9]

Republican primary

Lieutenant Governor Earle-Sears was initially viewed as the presumptive Republican nominee for governor.^[10] However, after poor initial polling and growing dissatisfaction with the lieutenant governor in factions of the party, Earle-Sears drew two challengers: former senator Amanda Chase and former delegate Dave LaRock.^[11] Chase and LaRock are positioning themselves as more loyal to President Donald Trump.^[12]

Candidates

Declared

• Amanda Chase, former state senator for SD-11 (2016–2024), candidate for governor in 2021, and candidate for SD-10 2025 special election^[13]
• Dave LaRock, former state delegate for HD-33 (2014–2024) and candidate for SD-1 in 2023^[14]
• Merle Rutledge, investigative reporter and perennial candidate^[15]
• Winsome Earle-Sears, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (2022–present)^[3]

Declined

• Jason Miyares, Virginia Attorney General (2022–present) (running for re-election)^[16]
• Rob Wittman, U.S. representative from Virginia's 1st congressional district (2007–present) (running for re-election)^[17]

Endorsements

Winsome Earle-Sears

Statewide officials

• Glenn Youngkin, incumbent governor (2022–present)^[18]

Organizations

• Maggie's List^[19]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Jason Miyares	Winsome Earle-Sears	Undecided
Cygnal (R)[20]	October 27–29, 2024	?	± 4.0%	12%	48%	40%
Cygnal (R)[21]	March 13–14, 2024	510 (LV)	± 4.3%	16%	44%	41%
Differentiators Data[22]	February 21–24, 2023	500 (LV)	± 4.5%	17%	48%	35%

Hypothetical polling

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Abigail Spanberger, former U.S. representative from Virginia's 7th congressional district (2019–2025)^[23]

Publicly expressed interest

• Bobby Scott, U.S. representative from Virginia's 3rd congressional district (1993–present)^[24]

Withdrawn

• Levar Stoney, former mayor of Richmond (2017–2025) and former Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth (2014–2016) (running for lieutenant governor)^[25]

Endorsements

Abigail Spanberger

U.S. senators

• Tim Kaine, Virginia (2013–present)^[24]

U.S. representatives

• Don Beyer, VA-8 (2015–present)^[26]
• Rick Boucher, VA-9 (1983–2011)^[27]
• Gerry Connolly, VA-11 (2009–present)^[26]
• Lois Frankel, FL-22 (2013–present)^[28]
• Elaine Luria, VA-2 (2019–2023)^[27]
• Tom Perriello, VA-5 (2009–2011)^[29]
• Suhas Subramanyam, VA-10 (2025–present)^[30]
• Eugene Vindman, VA-7 (2025–present)^[31]
• Jennifer Wexton, VA-10 (2019–2025)^[32]

Statewide officials

• Ralph Northam, former governor of Virginia (2018–2022)^[32]
• Mary Sue Terry, former Virginia Attorney General (1986–1993)^[27]
• Anthony Troy, former Virginia Attorney General (1977–1978)^[27]

State cabinet officials

• Viola Baskerville, former Virginia Secretary of Administration (2006–2010)^[33]
• Brian Moran, former Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security (2014–2022)^[27]

State legislators

• Monty Mason, former state senator from the 1st district (2016–2024)^[33]
• Russet Perry, state senator from the 31st district (2024–present)^[33]
• Don Scott, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2024–present) from the 88th district (2020–present)^[33]
• 5 other state delegates^[33]

Local officials

• Juli Briskman, Loudoun County supervisor (2020–present)^[33]
• Jeff McKay, at-large Fairfax County supervisor (2020–present)^[33]

Organizations

• Brady PAC^[34]
• End Citizens United^[35]
• EMILYs List^[36]
• Giffords^[37]
• Virginia League of Conservation Voters^[38]
• Vote Mama^[39]
• VoteVets^[40]

Bobby Scott (not declared)

State legislators

• Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate (2020–present) from the 18th district (1992–present)^[41] (previously endorsed Stoney)

Levar Stoney (withdrawn)

State officials

• Terry McAuliffe, former governor of Virginia (2014–2018), former chair of the Democratic National Committee (2001–2005) and nominee for governor in 2021^[42]
• Molly Joseph Ward, former Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources (2014–2018)^[43]

State legislators

• Lamont Bagby, state senator from the 9th district (2023–present)^[43]
• Creigh Deeds, state senator from the 25th district (2001–present), nominee for governor in 2009 and nominee for attorney general in 2005^[43]
• Michael Jones, state delegate from the 77th district (2024–present)^[43]
• Mamie Locke, state senator from the 2nd district (2004–present)^[43]
• Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate (2020–present) from the 18th district (1992–present)^[44]

Local officials

• Sherman Lea, mayor of Roanoke (2016–present)^[43]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Abigail Spanberger	Levar Stoney	Undecided
	April 22, 2024	Stoney withdraws from the race
Public Policy Polling (D)[45][A]	March 25–26, 2024	734 (LV)	—	44%	11%	45%
Christopher Newport University[46]	January 11–16, 2024	1000 (RV)	± 3.7%	52%	8%	40%

Independents

Formed exploratory committee

• Denver Riggleman, former Republican U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district (2019–2021)^[47]

General election

Predictions

Source	Ranking	As of
The Cook Political Report[48]	Tossup	December 6, 2024
Inside Elections[49]	Tilt D (flip)	February 6, 2025

Polling

Winsome Earle-Sears vs. Abigail Spanberger

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Winsome Earle-Sears (R)	Abigail Spanberger (D)	Other	Undecided
Cygnal (R)[50]	February 26–28, 2025	600 (LV)	± 4.0%	40%	46%	–	14%
Roanoke College[51]	February 17–20, 2025	690 (RV)	± 4.7%	24%	39%	4%[b]	33%
co/efficient (R)[52][B]	January 18–20, 2025	867 (LV)	± 3.3%	40%	40%	5%[c]	15%
Virginia Commonwealth University[53]	December 18, 2024 – January 15, 2025	806 (A)	± 4.7%	34%	44%	5%[d]	17%
Christopher Newport University[54]	January 6–13, 2025	806 (RV)	± 3.6%	39%	44%	6%[e]	12%
Emerson College[55][C]	January 6–8, 2025	1,000 (RV)	± 3.0%	41%	42%	4%[b]	13%
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[56]	December 15–19, 2024	625 (RV)	± 4.0%	44%	47%	–	9%
Research America Inc.[57][D]	September 3–9, 2024	1,000 (A)	± 3.1%	39%	39%	10%[f]	12%
co/efficient (R)[58][E]	September 7–10, 2023	834 (LV)	± 3.4%	26%	27%	–	47%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Winsome Earle-Sears (R)	Bobby Scott (D)	Undecided
Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy[56]	December 15–19, 2024	625 (RV)	± 4.0%	46%	44%	10%

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[a]	Margin of error	Jason Miyares (R)	Abigail Spanberger (D)	Undecided
Research America Inc.[57][D]	September 3–9, 2024	1,000 (A)	± 3.1%	39%	40%	12%
co/efficient (R)[58][E]	September 7–10, 2023	834 (LV)	± 3.4%	22%	26%	52%

Hypothetical polling

Winsome Earle-Sears vs. Bobby Scott

Jason Miyares vs. Abigail Spanberger

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear
2. "Someone else" with 4%
3. "Someone else" with 5%
4. "Wouldn't vote" with 4%; "Someone else" with 1%
5. "Someone else" with 2%. "Don't know/Refused" with 4%
6. "None / Would not vote" with 5%; "Other candidate" with 4%; "Refused" with 1%

Partisan clients

1. Poll sponsored by Stoney's campaign
2. Poll sponsored by the Northern Virginia Republican Business Forum
3. Poll sponsored by The Hill
4. Poll sponsored by the University of Mary Washington
5. Poll sponsored by Founders Insight