Winsome Earle-Sears (born March 11, 1964) is an American politician and businesswoman. Since 2022, she has been serving as the 42nd lieutenant governor of Virginia. She is the first woman of color and Jamaican-American elected to this office. A member of the Republican Party, she served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004.[2][3]
Sears also served on the Virginia Board of Education. She unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Congress in Virginia's 3rd congressional district in 2004 and for U.S. Senate in 2018.
In 2021, Sears was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia.
In September 2024, Sears announced her candidacy for governor in the 2025 gubernatorial election.[4]
References
- ↑ "Will Winsome Earle-Sears become the first Black woman governor?". Politico. September 8, 2023.
- ↑ Turner, Mikea (January 14, 2022). "Winsome Sears to make history as first woman - & Black woman - to be Virginia's Lt. Governor". WWBT. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
- ↑ Duster, Chandelis (November 3, 2021). "Winsome Sears will become Virginia lieutenant governor, CNN projects, becoming first female and woman of color in the office". CNN. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ↑ Vozzella, Laura; Schneider, Gregory S. (September 5, 2024). "Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears announces her candidacy for governor". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
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Italics indicate next-in-line of succession for states and territories without an official lieutenant governor:
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