Democrats win Virginia governor, AG races, NBC News projects
Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, appears onstage during a campaign rally at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville, Virginia, on October 20, 2025.
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Democratic candidates will win the Virginia governor’s race and the state’s attorney general election, NBC News predicted Tuesday night.
Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger will become Virginia’s first female governor by defeating Republican Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, according to NBC.
Spanberger, a former CIA officer and member of Congress, will replace Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is barred from running for a second consecutive term under Virginia law.
Virginia is one of 18 states that have never had a female governor.
In the race for attorney general, Democratic candidate Jay Jones will unseat Republican incumbent Jason Miyares, NBC predicts.
In his victory speech Tuesday night, Spanberger said Virginia “chose pragmatism over partisanship” and “chose our Commonwealth over chaos.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA).
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He praised rival Sears and thanked its supporters “for believing that Virginia can and will send a hopeful and joyful message tonight.”
Polls in the governor’s race, one of two such contests taking place a year after President Donald Trump’s election in 2024, have consistently favored Spanberger.
Meanwhile, the state AG’s race between Jones and Miyares has become noticeably bitter amid a major debate.
Jones once seemed likely to dominate Miyares. surveys showed. But Jones’ campaign came under heavy fire early last month. 2022 texts Scenarios predicting violence against a GOP political opponent were posted at: National Review.
Jones has repeatedly apologized for sending the messages, including during an altercation with Miyares on Oct. 16.
The scandal shook statewide elections, with Republican groups spending millions on ads attacking Jones. NBC News reported. The texts emerged as Republicans sought to link Democrats’ rhetoric to acts of political violence, including the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Some Virginia Democrats rejected There were texts, but few called for Jones to drop out of the race. Jones joins Spanberger and former President Barack Obama at get-out-the-vote event rally in norfolk on Saturday.
Earle-Sears saw fundraising support As the controversy unfolded, he sought to capitalize on the scandal in his mid-October debate against Spanberger. But multiple polls released shortly before Election Day show Spanberger maintaining a double-digit lead over his opponent.
