Winsome Earle-Sears makes history as first Jamaica-born woman to head major US party ticket for governor
Published:Monday | June 23, 2025 | 12:55 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer -
Winsome Earle-Sears has made history by becoming the first Jamaica-born woman to head a major United States (US) political party's ticket as candidate to contest for the position of governor.
Earle-Sears is the Republican Party’s candidate for governor of Virginia as she was selected unopposed in last Tuesday’s (June 17) primary elections.
She had originally drawn competition from two other candidates in the race to be the party’s candidate for governor but both candidates – State Senator Amanda Chase and Dave LaRock, a former state delegate - failed to make the ballot after not getting the required number of signatories.
Earle-Sears, who is currently lieutenant governor of the state of Virginia, has received the backing of outgoing Governor Glenn Youngkin as well as the Republican Party machinery.
In tomorrow’s primary election in New York, other Jamaicans are seeking to make their own history.
Michael Blake is seeking to win the democratic party’s primary to run for mayor of New York City, Lawman Lynch is seeking to become the first Jamaica-born male to sit in the New York City council and Darnett Davis is seeking to become the first Jamaica-born woman to become mayor of the village of Spring Valley in Rockland County.
Also running in tomorrow’s primary is Selvena Brooks-Powers who is seeking to retain her NYC 31st council seat in Queens.
In the New Jersey primary elections held on June 10 the candidates with Jamaican roots did not fare well.
Sean Spiller, who was on the ballot for governor, finished with 10 per cent of the vote and in fifth place.
Narda Morant, who ran for mayor of the city of East Orange, was also not victorious.
Earle-Sears will face off against Democratic Party candidate Abigail Spanberger, a former US Representative, in the November 4 general election. Spanberger was also unopposed as the one candidate who had previously announced a run against her – Levar Stoney - dropped his bid and has decided to run for election as lieutenant governor.
This will mark the first time that Virginia will see a contest for governor between two female candidates. Virginia has never had a female governor in its history.
The current governor, Youngkin, is prohibited from running in the upcoming elections under the state’s constitution.
Should Earle-Sears wins in November, she would become the first Jamaica-born person to become governor of a state in the US. She would also become the first woman and the first woman of colour to hold such a position. Earle-Sears was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1964. She immigrated to the US at age six. She grew up in the Bronx, New York and later served in the US armed forces. Earle-Sears earned an associate degree from Tidewater Community College, a bachelors' degree in English with a minor in economics from Old Dominion University and a master’s degree in organisational leadership from Regent University.
She served as an electrician in the US Marines from 1983 to 1986.
Before running for public office, Earle-Sears directed a Salvation Army homeless shelter. In November 2001, she upset 20-year Democratic incumbent Billy Robinson while running for the 90th district seat in Virginia's House of Delegates, becoming the first Jamaican female Republican, first female veteran, and first naturalised citizen delegate to serve in the body. In 2004, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi appointed her to the US Department of Veterans Affairs' Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. In 2004, she unsuccessfully challenged Democrat Bobby Scott for Virginia's third congressional district seat. She received 31 per cent of the vote.
Earle-Sears opened a home appliance business in Virginia after her 2004 election loss. Governor Bob McDonnell appointed her to the Virginia Board of Education in 2011. In September 2018, she entered the race for US Senate as a write-in candidate after Corey Stewart won the Republican nomination, citing his past alliances with white nationalists and other racial controversies. She received less than one per cent of the vote. During the 2020 United States presidential election campaign, Earle-Sears supported Donald Trump and was national chairwoman of the PAC 'Black Americans to Re-elect the President'.
On May 11, 2021, Earle-Sears won the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Virginia on the fifth ballot, defeating former state delegate and second-place finisher Tim Hugo with 54 per cent of the vote to his 46 per cent.
On November 2, 2021, she made history when she won her race along with gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin and attorney general candidate Jason Miyares. She is the first Jamaica-born woman and woman of colour to hold the position as lieutenant governor of Virginia.
She is hoping to continue making history by winning the November general election.