Here's what finance reports reveal about Virginia's busy election year
RICHMOND — Democrats are off to a head start in fundraising for Virginia’s busy campaign season, with former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D) reporting a big cash lead over Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) in the race for governor and Democrats outraising Republicans overall in contests for 100 seats in the House of Delegates, according to campaign finance reports filed this week.
Spanberger reported raising $6.7 million during the first three months of the year as of a midnight Tuesday state filing deadline — more than double the $3.1 million raised by Earle-Sears, according to an analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project.
Earle-Sears’s fundraising was restricted at the start of the year because she was not allowed to raise money during the General Assembly session, which ran from Jan. 8 through Feb. 22, as she presided over the state Senate in her role as lieutenant governor. The Republican ended the quarter with a little over $4 million in cash on hand, while Spanberger finished the period with just over $11 million in the bank.
The already astronomical totals reflect the outsize attention aimed at the Virginia gubernatorial race, which is always a barometer for political sentiment following a presidential election but carries extra freight this year. Democrats are hoping to make a strong stand against the Trump administration while Republicans look to extend their brand in a purple state, all with a historic contest that virtually ensures Virginia will have its first female governor. If Earle-Sears were to win, she would be the first African American woman to lead any state.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/04/16/virginia-elections-governor-spanberger-sears/