Former state delegate Dave LaRock, former state senator Amanda Chase and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears are vying for the Republican nomination for governor. (Photos courtesy of Dave LaRock, Virginia Senate, and Mechelle Hankerson for the Virginia Mercury)
Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears began the week as the clear Republican gubernatorial frontrunner, but in just days, her once-uncontested path to the nomination has turned into a primary fight. With 10 months until Virginia’s gubernatorial election, two GOP challengers have jumped into the race, shaking up the contest and setting the stage for the showdown with former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Former state delegate Dave LaRock and former state senator Amanda Chase declared their candidacies within days of each other, throwing the Republican primary into uncertainty. Their entries come just as Spanberger opened a double-digit lead over Earle-Sears for the first time in a Roanoke College poll released earlier this week.
LaRock, a former state delegate from Loudoun County, is positioning himself as a staunch conservative alternative to Earle-Sears.
His campaign website touts him as a “proven conservative leader who delivers” and promises to “protect taxpayers’ money from fraud and waste, uphold constitutional rights, defend life, and ensure safe communities and schools.”
LaRock has also voiced support for the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk. He has not responded to requests for comment for this story, but his website takes aim at Earle-Sears, claiming she “offers platitudes and backtracks on conservative values.”
Chase, who represented Chesterfield County in the state Senate for eight years before losing a primary challenge to Sen. Glen Sturtevant, is no stranger to statewide campaigns — or controversy.
Chase has been widely characterized as a far-right figure and a promoter of election conspiracy theories. She has been called one of Virginia’s most vocal spreaders of false claims about the 2020 election and drew attention for attending Trump’s rally before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In response, the Virginia Senate voted 24-9 in a bipartisan censure, citing “conduct unbecoming a senator” and accusing her of “fomenting insurrection against the United States.”
Chase previously launched an unsuccessful bid for governor in late 2020, branding herself as “Trump in Heels.” After her Senate defeat, she moved to Appomattox to seek the Republican nomination in Senate District 10, but lost in a party-run mass meeting to Republican Luther Cifers.
In a phone interview Thursday, Chase said she believes Earle-Sears may struggle to qualify for the primary ballot, citing campaign “turnover and upheaval.” Dave Abrams, a spokesman for Earle-Sears, called these allegations “patently false.”
Chase emphasized her ability to mount a viable challenge, pointing to her past electoral experience and campaign infrastructure. “I believe I could beat Abigail Spanberger,” she said. “Winsome Earle-Sears has alienated a lot of Trump supporters when she said she didn’t support Trump’s second run for president. People want a candidate that has not denounced President Trump.”
Chase also stated she would welcome an alliance with Elon Musk to combat wasteful spending in Virginia. “We need a DOGE in Virginia. We need Elon Musk,” she added.
While LaRock has officially filed his paperwork and Chase is in the process of doing so, both candidates still face a significant hurdle — securing 10,000 signatures, including 400 from qualified voters in each of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts by April 3 to qualify for the primary ballot. Chase acknowledged the challenge, calling it a “heavy lift for anybody,” but she expressed confidence in her campaign’s ability to meet the requirement.
Earle-Sears, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2022, faces some pushback from within her party, particularly because she publicly urged Republicans to “move on from Trump” later that year.
Both LaRock and Chase are likely to seek Trump’s endorsement, a potential key factor in the primary battle. The situation mirrors the 2024 Republican primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, where Trump-backed challenger McGuire ousted then-Rep. Bob Good, R-Farmville, after the former president withdrew his endorsement of the incumbent.
Despite the primary challenge, Earle-Sears retains strong institutional support. On Wednesday evening, Gov. Glenn Youngkin took to X to reaffirm his backing of Earle-Sears, calling her “Virginia’s next governor.” He praised her record on parental rights, law enforcement, business growth, and tax relief, pledging to “stand with her every step of the way as our party unites and she wins in November.”
And Adams, the Earle-Sears campaign spokesman, dismissed concerns about her primary opponents. “Winsome is a winner, plain and simple,” he said in a text message Thursday.
“She has an extraordinary personal story and a long record of fighting for and delivering common-sense conservative policies that make life in Virginia better. That’s why the groundswell of support for her campaign has grown too big to beat in any prospective primary.”
David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg, said Earle-Sears is not in serious trouble yet but warned that Trump’s endorsement could be a game-changer.
“Youngkin’s endorsement helps her enormously. A candidate like LaRock poses some risk for her because he could gain momentum. Chase is less of a threat; she strikes me as an opportunistic candidate, jumping in because she expects to get some political mileage out of it, not because she would be a serious pick for the GOP.”
Richards noted that if Trump endorses LaRock or another candidate, Earle-Sears could face a serious challenge. “Trump may not determine who wins the governor’s election next November, but he will probably determine who the GOP nominee is.”
Maggie Amjad, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Virginia, framed the Republican primary turmoil as a sign of weakness for Earle-Sears.
“The Republican field erupting in chaos and infighting confirms that Winsome Earle-Sears is a highly flawed candidate with a flailing campaign and an inability to unite the Republican party,” Amjad said.
“While Virginians deserve a governor who fights for the commonwealth, these Republican candidates are only focused on causing chaos, attacking Virginia jobs and workers, defunding public schools, and ripping away reproductive rights.”
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