Republican Winsome Sears Is First Black Woman Elected to Statewide Office in Virginia 

Winsome Sears (R-VA) made history on Tuesday when she defeated Democrat Hala Ayala in the Virginia lieutenant governor’s race, making her the first black woman to hold statewide office. 

The Cook Report’s Dave Wasserman called the race for Sears just hours after the polls closed. 

Sears overcame a large spending gap, as her Democrat opponent outspent her 2:1.

Many people took to social media to congratulate Sears on her historic victory.

With Glenn Youngkin’s gubernatorial victory, Sears and Youngkin ushered in a new era of Republican leadership in Virginia’s executive branch.

Sears legally immigrated to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, when she was just six-years-old. Before being elected lieutenant governor, Sears served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Virginia House of Delegates. 

Virginia’s lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession to the governor. Additionally, the lieutenant governor also serves as president of the Virginia State Senate and may cast tie-breaking votes when necessary.