Abigail Spanberger (D) and Winsome Earle-Sears (R) are running in the general election for Governor of Virginia on Nov. 4, 2025. Incumbent Glenn Youngkin (R) is term-limited.

As one of only two gubernatorial elections– the other being in New Jersey— that take place in the odd year following a presidential election, media outlets and political observers have historically paid close attention to Virginia’s gubernatorial race. According to USA Today’s Savannah Kuchar, “The Commonwealth is heralded as a national bellwether, like clockwork every four years. Held in the odd year after the presidential election since 1869, Virginia’s gubernatorial race is a cyclical scorecard for voters’ moods and the issues at the forefront of the national consciousness.”

Abigail Spanberger (D) represented the 7th Congressional District from 2019 to 2025. Before serving in Congress, she was a CIA case agent. Spanberger is running on her record in Congress, saying she has “a really clear background and evidence of my ability to build coalitions across party lines…I have a very clear history of bringing people together to…deliver results.” Spanberger says she is “focus[ed] on strengthening our public education system, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe.”

Winsome Earle-Sears (R) is the incumbent lieutenant governor of Virginia. She was elected in 2021 and is running on her record. Her campaign website says, “As Lieutenant Governor, she led reforms across 13 medical boards, championed legislative change, and fought to increase educational freedom, scoring major victories for charter schools.” Earle-Sears is also campaigning to continue building on Youngkin’s tax policies, saying, “We’re talking about billions of dollars that we returned to you, the Virginians…We’re going to continue that because that’s part of the reason why our economy flourished.”

The Associated Press’ Olivia Diaz wrote, “Democrats’ hold on Virginia has slipped in recent years, moving it close to swing-state status nationally. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin beat former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021. And although Democrats narrowly gained back complete control of the legislature in a 2023 election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won Virginia last year by less than six points, compared to former President Joe Biden’s 10-point lead in 2020. Still, Democrats have history on their side: The party of the sitting president typically suffers defeat in Virginia’s statewide races. And considering Trump has never won the state, Democrats are probably better positioned to make gains.”

In 2017, Ralph Northam (D) was elected governor while Donald Trump (R) was president. In 2021, Glenn Youngkin (R) won during Joe Biden’s (D) presidency.

In Ballotpedia’s May 13 episode of On the Ballot, The Virginia Scope’s Brandon Jarvis also listed education, the state’s right-to-work law, and the Trump administration as key issues that the candidates are campaigning on. Click here to listen.

Neither Spanberger nor Earle-Sears faced a primary. The Democratic and Republican primaries were scheduled for June 17 but were cancelled after only two candidates filed to run for governor. The filing deadline was April 3, 2025.

In addition to the race for governor, Virginia is also holding elections for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and House of Delegates in 2025.

This race, along with the elections for Virginia’s House of Delegates, will determine the state’s trifecta status. Virginia has had a divided government, where neither party holds a trifecta, since 2022. Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly and Youngkin is a Republican.

The gubernatorial election and the attorney general election will also help determine the state’s triplex status. Currently Virginia has a Republican triplex, where Republicans hold the offices of the governor, attorney general, and secretary of the commonwealth. In Virginia, the governor appoints the secretary of the commonwealth.

Click here to learn more about Virginia 2025 elections and here to learn more about gubernatorial elections in 2025.