Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, has surged to a commanding victory in the Virginia gubernatorial election, marking a significant setback for Donald Trump as he eyes a second term.

The former congresswoman and one-time CIA officer decisively triumphed over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, who currently serves as Virginia’s lieutenant governor, according to reports from the Associated Press.

With her win, Spanberger is poised to become Virginia’s first female governor, taking the reins from Glenn Youngkin, who gained office in 2021 by capitalizing on dissatisfaction with the Biden administration.

Spanberger’s triumph signals a notable advantage for Democrats in a state that has increasingly seen competitive races.

Virginia’s off-year gubernatorial elections often reflect broader national political trends. Spanberger’s significant lead over Earle-Sears may indicate that Democrats are gaining momentum as they head into the upcoming midterm elections, which are crucial for shaping the concluding years of Trump’s presidency.

The stench of Earle-Sears’ candidacy was felt inside the White House. Notably, neither the president or Vice President JD Vance ever set foot in the state to campaign or even to hold a fundraiser for Sears. 

Meanwhile, top Democrats stepped in to boost Spanberger. Former President Barack Obama rallied with her in Norfolk, Virginia, this past Saturday, while former President Bill Clinton and First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headlined a fundraiser for Spanberger last month.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger embraces her husband Adam after being declared the winner in the Virginia governor’s race prior to her election night rally at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on November 04, 2025 in Richmond, Virginia

A woman celebrates, as Democrat Abigail Spanberger is projected to win over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia’s race for governor, at the Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. November 4, 2025

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger arrives at a rally at Virginia Commonwealth University on November 3, 2025 in Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger and her husband Adam Spanberger share a milkshake as they visit the world’s biggest Arby’s restaurant on October 31, 2025 in Colonial Heights, Virginia

That event, hosted by former Virginia Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe at his home, pulled in a record-breaking $2.2 million. The gathering drew more than 350 donors and became the ‘largest gubernatorial fundraiser in Virginia history,’ according to Politico.

High fundraising and unbalanced spending undoubtedly played a role in the results of the Virginia governor’s race.

Earle-Sears was handily out-raised, with Spanberger pulling in over $65 million to her opponents’ $35 million, per the Virginia Public Access Project. 

Most of those dollars were spent on advertising, with Sears being outspent by $25.6 million, $51.9 million to $26.3 million.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears speaks during a rally at the Buckland Farm Market on October 29, 2025 in New Baltimore, Virginia

A woman waves the state flag of Virginia at an election night watch party for Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Va.

Democratic strategist Mally Smith, former senior political and coalitions Advisor for the Kamala Harris campaign in North Carolina, told the Daily Mail Tuesday afternoon that he has been ‘hearing rural Republican turnout is incredibly low in Virginia.’

‘If this continues to hold true, Democrats are going to have a great night up and down the ballot,’ Smith added at the time.

Earle-Sears broke with Trump after the 2020 election, and he seems to have never forgiven her. In 2022, Sears said that voters want a different leader from Trump, and even called the then-former president a ‘liability to the mission.’

Back in August, numerous longtime Republican players in Virginia privately told the Daily Mail that they had serious doubts about Earle-Sears’s ability to emerge victorious in November. 

One GOP operative told the Daily Mail under the condition of anonymity that ‘this is 100 percent 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. 

The last time a Republican candidate won the Virginia governor’s race while there was a Republican in the White House was 1973, when Mills E. Godwin Jr. captured the governorship during Richard Nixon’s presidency.