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Projected winner Virginia’s lieutenant governor Winsome Sears would make her the first Black woman in history to hold the second-highest office in Virginia. This swings in the Republication party’s favor, potentially putting contentious issues such as abortion and women’s autonomy in jeopardy. Sears, 57, would also be the first woman of color in statewide office in another milestone.
Hala S. Ayala (D-Prince William) 48, a state delegate who conceded in the race, said in a statement congratulating her “paving the way for future women leaders who look like us.”
Sears told supporters, “I’m telling you that what you are looking at is the American Dream.” She spoke about her father, who traveled with just $1.75 in his pocket from Jamaica to the United States during the speech.
Her campaign worked to expand the Republican Party by bringing voters of color over who agree with her positions on abortion and gun owner’s rights.
Sears spoke on her personal experiences and her “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” convictions. She believes the government should allow people to seek success by themselves.
In 2020, she led a push to turn out Black voters for President Donald Trump.
Sears won her nomination as an underdog candidate with only a $2.5 million campaign budget. She generated enthusiasm in the party’s conservative base by appearing in an ad in a dress blazer and an assault rifle.
She joined forces with GOP Gubernatorial nominee Glenn Youngkin to lead an offensive against Critical Race Theory (CRT), a literary movement of civil rights that analyzes systemic racism. CRT is not part of Virginia’s K-12 curriculum but has become a conservative talking point to denounce any progress to include cultural awareness in education.
Jamaican-born Sears will be sworn in on January 15, 2022.
Written by Skye Leon
Edited by Cathy Milne-Ware
Sources:
The Washington Post: Republican Winsome Sears projected to win lieutenant governor’s race; by Antonio Olivo
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Eric Brown’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Ron Cogswell’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License