Virginia’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears is scrambling to secure Donald Trump’s backing in her high-stakes gubernatorial race – but the commander-in-chief has yet to throw his weight behind her campaign.
The president told a gaggle of reporters earlier this month that ‘the candidate is running against is not very good’, adding that ‘she’s got a tough race’ and he ‘would’ endorse.
It comes as Republican operatives in the deeply purple state have expressed concerns about her viability as a candidate after outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s spectacular underdog victory in 2021.
Sears told the Daily Mail exclusively at a campaign event this week that she wants ‘every endorsement that comes.’
‘We all want to win. And his, of course, will help,’ Sears added when asked if Trump should back her in the race.
That’s a stark contrast from 2022, when Sears said that voters ‘want a different leader’ from Trump.
It’s the first time Sears has directly stated that she desires Trump’s immediate backing.
She previously brushed off questions about her past critical remarks on Trump, saying she doesn’t dwell on the past.
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Winsome Earle-Sears speaks with the Daily Mail on August 11th, 2025 in Fauquier County, Virginia
Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin holds hands with Virginia Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Winsome Sears in 2021
Rep. Abigail Spanberger is running against Sears for governor
As Lt. Gov., Sears was victorious in 2021, alongside current Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares delivering the first Republican clean sweep of statewide offices in Virginia in over a decade.
Three years later, despite Trump and JD Vance holding several events in Virginia during the 2024 cycle in the hopes of a new ‘red wave’ – it never came.
A Republican has not won Virginia’s coveted presidential electoral votes in over 20 years.
And now Sears is undoubtedly running an uphill battle, despite her framing of the governor race as within the ‘margin of error.’
Per the Virginia Public Access project, Sears has raised over $11 million, compared to Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s $27 million.
Sears told the Daily Mail that she broke records with her impressive fundraising haul at the start of the year.
‘You can check… in the first quarter of my campaign, I raised more money than any Republican ever has historically,’ she stated.
Her claim about being a top GOP fundraiser in the first quarter after announcing her candidacy is mostly true.
Incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin had over $7 million at the end of his first quarter financial report in 2021, but $5 million of that was self-funded.
That’s compared to Sears’s $3 million raised at the start of her current campaign.
The lagging degree to which outside groups are willing to invest in Virginia is also telling.
According to a recent Commonwealth poll, Spanberger is leading Sears 49 percent to 37 percent.
And GOP operatives aren’t enthused about putting their coffers behind her campaign.
The Republican Governors Association (RGA) has only spent $500,000 on behalf of Sears, compared to the $2 million that the Republican Attorneys General Association has pledged to Miyares.
The president told a gaggle of reporters earlier this month that ‘the candidate is running against is not very good’, adding that ‘she’s got a tough race’ and he ‘would’ endorse
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Winsome Earle-Sears hosts a roundtable on women’s issues on August 11th, 2025 in Fauquier County, Virginia
Yard signs for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Winsome Earle-Sears are seen outside of the event venue for a roundtable on women’s issues on August 11th, 2025 in Fauquier County, Virginia
RGA Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton told the Daily Mail that the group is firmly behind Sears.
‘Winsome Earle-Sears is the only candidate in this race who will keep Virginia on the right track forged by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Under their leadership, parents’ rights have been protected, Virginia’s economy is growing, and communities are safe.’
Krompton also added that ‘under Abigail Spanberger, the clock will be turned back on all these accomplishments – just like they were while she was in Congress.’
But numerous longtime Republican players in Virginia privately told the Daily Mail that they have serious doubts about Sears’s ability to emerge victorious in November.
One operative told the Daily Mail under the condition of anonymity that ‘this is 100% Glenn Youngkin’s fault for clearing the field by endorsing her right after the 2024 election.’
The operative also noted that there were real conversations about potential primary challengers to Sears, which the governor worked to keep at bay.
Two representatives for Trump’s political operation did not respond to the Daily Mail’s requests for comment in time for publication.
One operative told the Daily Mail under the condition of anonymity that ‘this is 100% Glenn Youngkin’s fault for Winsome Sears’s slow campaign
The wide-ranging forum touched on issues including preserving women’s spaces in locker rooms and on sports teams
At her Monday campaign event in Fauquier County, Virginia, an hour and a half outside of Washington, D.C., Sears held a roundtable of female leaders, which included participants from business, non-profit, and political sectors.
The wide-ranging forum touched on issues including preserving women’s spaces in locker rooms and on sports teams and ensuring that women who are victims of crimes have the proper legal recourse to deal with their assailants.
There was also a discussion about anti-semitism on college campuses, which Sears believes Spanbeger has not adequately condemned.