Virginia gubernatorial election, 2025
- Congress elections
- State elections
- Local elections
- Voter information
←2021 |
| Governor of Virginia |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: April 3, 2025 |
| Primary: June 17, 2025 (canceled) General: November 4, 2025 Pre-election incumbent(s): Glenn Youngkin (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Virginia |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic Inside Elections: Lean Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2025 Impact of term limits in 2025 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2025 |
| Virginia executive elections |
| Governor |
Abigail Spanberger (D) defeatedWinsome Earle-Sears (R) in the general election forgovernor of Virginia onNovember 4, 2025. IncumbentGlenn Youngkin (R) was term-limited.
This election was the first time in state history that the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor were both women. Spanberger was the first woman to be elected governor of Virginia.[1]
Virginia was one of two states — the other beingNew Jersey — that held elections in 2025. Heading into the election,USA Today's Savannah Kuchar wrote, "The Commonwealth is heralded as a national bellwether, like clockwork every four years. Held in the odd year after the presidential election since 1869, Virginia’s gubernatorial race is a cyclical scorecard for voters’ moods and the issues at the forefront of the national consciousness."[2][3][4]
In Ballotpedia's May 13, 2025, episode ofOn the Ballot,The Virginia Scope’s Brandon Jarvis listed education, the state's right-to-work law, and the Trump administration as key issues in the race.Click here to listen. Jarvis also discussed the race and Virginia's other 2025 elections on our October 24, 2025, episode ofOn The Ballot.Click here to listen to that episode.
Abigail Spanberger (D) representedthe 7th Congressional District from 2019 to 2025. Before serving in Congress, she was a CIA case agent. Spanberger ran on her record in Congress and said she had "a really clear background and evidence of my ability to build coalitions across party lines ... I have a very clear history of bringing people together to ... deliver results."[5] Spanberger said she was "focus[ed] on strengthening our public education system, lowering costs for families and keeping our communities safe."[6]
Winsome Earle-Sears (R) was the incumbent lieutenant governor of Virginia. She was elected in2021 and ran on her record. Her campaign website said, "As Lieutenant Governor, she led reforms across 13 medical boards, championed legislative change, and fought to increase educational freedom, scoring major victories for charter schools."[7] Earle-Sears also said she would continue Youngkin's tax policies: "We’re talking about billions of dollars that we returned to you, the Virginians...We’re going to continue that because that’s part of the reason why our economy flourished."[8]
In2017,Ralph Northam (D) defeatedEd Gillespie (R) andCliff Hyra (L) 53.9%-45%-1.2% whileDonald Trump (R) was president. In2021,Glenn Youngkin (R) defeatedTerry McAuliffe (D) andPrincess Blanding (L) 50.6%-48.6%-0.7% whileJoe Biden (D) was president.
Neither Spanberger nor Earle-Sears faced a primary challenger. The Democratic and Republican primaries were scheduled for June 17 but were canceled after only two candidates filed to run for governor. The filing deadline was April 3, 2025.
In addition to the race for governor, Virginia also held elections forlieutenant governor,attorney general, andHouse of Delegates in 2025.
As a result of this election, and theelections for Virginia's House of Delegates, in which Democrats retained control of the chamber, Democrats gained atrifecta in 2025. Heading into the election, Virginia had a divided government, where neither party had a trifecta since 2022. At the time of the election, Democrats had majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly, and Youngkin was a Republican.
Democrats also won atriplex in 2025. A triplex occurs when one political party holds the offices of governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. In the2025 attorney general election,Jay Jones (D) defendedJason Miyares (R). Heading into the election, Virginia had a Republican triplex. In Virginia, the governor appoints the secretary of the commonwealth.
Clickhere to learn more about Virginia 2025 elections andhere to learn more about gubernatorial elections in 2025.
On this page, you will find
- Voting dates and deadlines
- Campaign finance information
- Profiles about the candidates
- Abrief history of gubernatorial elections in Virginia
Abigail Spanberger won election in the general election for Governor of Virginia.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- Virginia gubernatorial election, 2025 (June 17 Democratic primary)
- Virginia gubernatorial election, 2025 (June 17 Republican primary)
Recent updates
This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.
- November 3, 2025
- November 2, 2025
- November 1, 2025
- October 31, 2025
- October 30, 2025
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Governor of Virginia
Abigail Spanberger defeatedWinsome Earle-Sears in the general election for Governor of Virginia on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Abigail Spanberger (D) | 57.6 | 1,976,857 |
 | Winsome Earle-Sears (R) | 42.2 | 1,449,586 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 6,897 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 3,433,340 | ||
 = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Donna Charles (Independent)
- Levar Stoney (D)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled.Abigail Spanberger advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled.Winsome Earle-Sears advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Virginia.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Merle Rutledge (R)
- Dave LaRock (R)
- Amanda Chase (R)
Voting information
- See also:Voting in Virginia
Election information inVirginia: Nov. 4, 2025, election.
What was the voter registration deadline?
- In-person: Nov. 4, 2025
- By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 24, 2025
- Online: Oct. 24, 2025
Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?
- In-person: Oct. 24, 2025
- By mail: Received by Oct. 24, 2025
- Online: Oct. 24, 2025
What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?
- In-person: Nov. 4, 2025
- By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 4, 2025
Was early voting available to all voters?
What were the early voting start and end dates?
Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?
When were polls open on Election Day?
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, clickhere.
Party:Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Biography: Spanberger earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia in 2001 and an MBA from a dual-degree program between Purdue University and the GISMA business school in Germany in 2002. Spanberger worked as a case officer for Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2006 to 2014. Her other career experience included working as a teacher, U.S. Postal Service postal inspector, and consultant.
Key Messages
The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages,click here.
Spanberger said she would focus on lowering costs: "The number-one priority I hear across Virginia is the need to make everyday life more affordable and bring down high costs. That's why I've been laying out plans to make energy, healthcare, and housing more affordable for Virginians."
On public safety, Spanbeger's campaign website said she would support policies to "provide treatment, recovery, and wraparound services to everyone impacted by substance use disorders" and "strengthen Virginia’s safe storage laws and keep firearms out of the hands of kids or those who pose a threat to themselves or others."
On education, Spanberger's campaign website said, "As Virginia’s next Governor, Abigail will work aggressively to get schools the funding they need, address Virginia’s teacher shortage, and provide teachers with training and support. She will oppose efforts that seek to erode faith in our public schools or take public dollars out of public schools."
Show sources
Sources:Abigail Spanberger 2025 campaign website, "Keeping Virginia’s Communities Safe," accessed July 29, 2025;Abigail Spanberger 2025 canpaign website, "NEW: Spanberger Announces Priorities to Make Virginia More Affordable, Lower Virginians’ Healthcare & Prescription Drug Costs," May 21, 2025;Cardinal News, "2025 Virginia Voter Guide," accessed July 29, 2025; Abigail Spanberger 2025 campaign website,"About," accessed July 29, 2025;Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "SPANBERGER, Abigail," accessed July 29, 2025
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Virginia in 2025.
Party:Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (Assumed office: 2022)
- Virginia House of Delegates (2002-2004)
Biography: Earle-Sears earned a bachelor's degree from Old Dominion University in 1992 and a master's degree in organizational leadership from Regent University in 2003. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1983 to 1986. Her other career experience includes working as an electrician and managing a business.
Key Messages
The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages,click here.
Earle-Sears' campaign website said she would focus on reducing the cost of living and "fight for common-sense tax cuts that help all Virginians like eliminating the unfair car tax", "scour the government books to cut wasteful government spending and job-killing regulations."
On public safety, Earle-Sears' campaign website said she would "end radical policies like catch-and-release and ensure violent criminal illegal immigrants are arrested, detained, and sent back to where they came from" and that she "opposes sanctuary cities and will work alongside the Trump administration to remove those who break our laws and threaten public safety."
On education, Earle-Sears' campaign website said she would "empower parents to choose the best school for their children so every child gets a quality education. She will prioritize parents’ rights and basic reading and math skills over ideological grandstanding."
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Governor of Virginia in 2025.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race completedBallotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign ads
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, pleaseemail us.
Abigail Spanberger
View more ads here:
Winsome Earle-Sears
View more ads here:
Debates and forums
If you are aware of any debates, candidate forums, or other similar events where multiple candidates in this race participated, pleaseemail us.
Election competitiveness
Polls
Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and havemargins of error orcredibility intervals.[26] The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times."[27] For tips on reading polls fromFiveThirtyEight,click here. For tips from Pew,click here.
Below we provide results for polls froma wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval. Know of something we're missing?Click here to let us know.
| Poll | Dates | Earle-Sears (R) | Spanberger (D) | Charles (Write-in) | Neither/Wouldn't vote | Neither/Wouldn't Vote | Other | Undecided | Sample size | Margin of error | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
– | 40 | 50 | 5 | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 800LV | ± 3.5% | N/A | |
– | 43 | 55 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 606RV | ± 4.7% | N/A | |
– | 44 | 56 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 880LV | ± 3.2% | N/A | |
– | 45 | 54 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 1,325respondents | ± 3.0% | N/A | |
– | 41 | 54 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 614LV | ± 4.0% | N/A | |
– | 42 | 57 | -- | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 1,179LV | ± 4.0% | N/A | |
– | 41 | 51 | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | 4 | 1,041LV | ± 4.0% | N/A | |
– | 43 | 52 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | 3 | 500LV | ± 4.4% | N/A | |
– | 46 | 51 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 2 | 1302RV | ± 2.8% | N/A | |
– | 42 | 54 | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 927LV | ± 3.5% | N/A | |
– | 44 | 49 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 937LV | ± 3.2% | N/A | |
– | 45 | 48 | 0.8 | -- | -- | -- | 6.4 | 1039LV | ± 2.9% | N/A | |
– | 42 | 49 | -- | -- | 4 | -- | 6 | 842A | ± 4.0% | N/A | |
– | 45 | 48 | 1.7 | -- | -- | -- | 5.6 | 1066LV | ± 2.9% | N/A | |
– | 45 | 49 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5.6 | 600LV | ± 4.0% | ||
– | 42 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6 | 805LV | ± 3.9% | N/A | |
– | 42 | 47 | 1.6 | -- | -- | -- | 9.4 | 1034LV | ± 2.9% | N/A | |
– | 42 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5 | 725LV | ± 3.6% | N/A | |
– | 43 | 55 | -- | 2 | -- | -- | -- | 1,002RV | ± 3.4% | N/A | |
– | 43 | 49 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 7 | 1,025LV | ± 3.0% | N/A | |
– | 40 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8 | 808LV | ± 3.9% | N/A | |
– | 43 | 48 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | 7 | 1025LV | ± 3.1% | N/A | |
– | 39 | 46 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 14 | 602LV | ± 4.4% | N/A | |
– | 37 | 49 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 12 | 764RV | ± 4.2% | N/A | |
– | 26 | 43 | -- | -- | -- | 3 | 28 | 609RV | ± 5.3% | N/A | |
– | 48 | 52 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,000LV | ± 3.1% | Virginia FREE | |
– | 40 | 46 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 14 | 600LV | ± 4.0% | N/A | |
– | 39 | 44 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | 16 | 806RV | ± 3.6% | N/A | |
– | 41 | 42 | -- | -- | -- | 4 | 13 | 1,000RV | ± 3.0% | N/A | |
– | 44 | 47 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 9 | 625RV | ± 4.0% | N/A | |
| Note: LV is likely voters, RV is registered voters, and EV is eligible voters. | |||||||||||
Race ratings
- See also:Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets:The Cook Political Report,Inside Elections,Sabato's Crystal Ball, andDDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe andSolid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[28]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[29][30][31]
| Race ratings: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2025 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 11/4/2025 | 10/28/2025 | 10/21/2025 | 10/14/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | Lean Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | Likely Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Noteworthy endorsements
Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, pleaseemail us.
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, pleaseemail us.
| Noteworthy endorsements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Endorser | Abigail Spanberger | Winsome Earle-Sears |
| Government officials | ||
| U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Donald Sternoff Beyer Jr. (D) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Jennifer Kiggans (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R) source | ✔ | |
| U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D) source | ✔ | |
| Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) source | ✔ | |
| Individuals | ||
| Frmr. Gov. Ralph Northam source | ✔ | |
| Frmr. President Barack Obama source | ✔ | |
| Organizations | ||
| Virginia Beach Police Benevolent Association source | ✔ | |
| Virginia Education Association source | ✔ | |
| Virginia Police Benevolent Association source | ✔ | |
Election spending
Campaign finance
The section and tables below contain data from financial reports submitted to state agencies. The data is gathered and made available byTransparency USA.
Satellite spending
- See also:Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees,super PACs, trade associations, and501(c)(4)nonprofit groups.[32][33][34]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add,email us.
| By election |
|---|
Spending news
- On September 16, theWashington Post reported that theDemocratic Governors Association Action Fund had spent $3 million supporting Spanberger.[35]
- On September 16,Politico reported that theRepublican Governors Association was spending $1 million on TV ads in the D.C. television market, $1 million on digital ads, and a total of $2.7 million on TV ads statewide.[36]
- On September 16, theWashington Post also reported that incumbent Gov.Glenn Youngkin (R) donated $100,000 to Earle-Sears’ campaign.[35]
- On August 29,Politico reported that Black Entertainment Television co-founder Robert Johnson donated $500,000 to the Earle-Sears campaign. Johnson’s donation came after a protester held up a sign that he called a “racist diatribe” when Earle-Sears spoke at an Arlington school board meeting. Johnson previously supported Democrats, including former Gov.Terry McAuliffe and 2016 presidential candidateHillary Clinton.[37]
- Other large donations for Spanberger included a $500,000 donation from VoteVets, an organization that said it supported “veteran candidates who will fight for progressive values,” and another $500,000 donation from Sports Betting Alliance, which said it believed “customers in all 50 states should enjoy the benefits of transparent and legal sports betting and online casino gaming.” According to theVirginia Public Access Project, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman also donated $390,000 to Spanberger’s campaign.[38][39][40]
Election context
Ballot access requirements
The table below details filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates in Virginia in the 2025 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Virginia, clickhere.
| Filing requirements for gubernatorial candidates, 2025 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Signature formula | Filing fee | Filing fee formula | Filing deadline | Source |
| Virginia | Governor | Recognized party | 10,000[41] | Fixed number | $3,500 | 2% of annual salary | 4/3/2025 | Source |
| Virginia | Governor | Non-primary party | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 6/17/2025 | Source |
| Virginia | Governor | Independent | 10,000[42] | Fixed number | N/A | N/A | 6/17/2025 | Source |
Election history
Margin of victory in past contests
The following chart shows themargin of victory for candidates elected as the governor of Virginia in elections going back to 1997.
Five of the last seven gubernatorial contests were decided with a margin of victory of less than 10 points. The average margin of victory for Republican candidates is 10.9%, and the average for Democratic candidates is 5.6%.
Past primary contests
The following chart shows the results of the seven most recent Democratic gubernatorial primaries in Virginia.
In four Virginia Democratic primaries, a candidate ran for the nomination unopposed. The most competitive primary was in2017 whenRalph Northam (D) defeatedTom Perriello (D) by a margin of 55.9% to 44.1%.
The following chart shows the results of the seven most recent Republican gubernatorial primaries in Virginia.
In four Virginia Republican primaries, a candidate ran for the nomination unopposed. The most competitive primary was in2017 whenEd Gillespie (R) defeatedCorey Stewart (R) andFrank Wagner by a margin of 43.7% with Stewart receiving 42.5% and Wagner receiving 13.8%.
2021
- Main article:Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021
Glenn Youngkin (R) defeatedTerry McAuliffe (D) in the general election forgovernor of Virginia on November 2, 2021, becoming the first Republican to win a statewide election in the state since 2009. Incumbent Gov.Ralph Northam (D) was unable to seek re-election due toterm limits.[43]
TheLos Angeles Times' Janet Hook called the race "the first big test of strength between parties since Biden was elected" and said it "could set the tone for the 2022 midterm election."[44] The outcome of this election, in addition to the state'sHouse of Delegates elections, also determined Virginia'strifecta status. Virginia became a Democratic trifecta in 2019, for the first time since 1994. Youngkin's victory switched Virginia to a split government.
McAuliffe was governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018 and chairman of theDemocratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005.[45][46] He emphasized his previous term as governor, saying he "brought 200,000 good paying jobs to the Commonwealth, drove unemployment down, and raised personal income."[47] He compared Youngkin to former PresidentDonald Trump (R), saying, "[Youngkin] is nothing more than a Trump loyalist, dead set on advancing an extreme agenda here in Virginia."[48][49][50]
Youngkin was a former co-CEO and president of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, where he worked from 1995 to 2020.[51] In aCandidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia, Youngkin said, "We need a governor with real-world experience who can create jobs, keep businesses from leaving, put an open-for-business sign on Virginia, and create a rip-roaring economy that lifts all Virginians."[52] Read his full survey responseshere. He described McAuliffe as "a recycled, 40-year political insider and career politician who pretends to be a businessman."[53]
Princess Blanding (Liberation) andPaul Davis (I) also ran in the election. Blanding appeared on the general election ballot. Davis ran as a write-in candidate.
At the time of the election, Democrats had won four of the five most recent gubernatorial elections and all thirteen statewide elections in Virginia since2012.Joe Biden (D) won the state in the2020 presidential election, receiving 54% of the vote toDonald Trump's (R) 44%.
2017
- Main article:Virginia gubernatorial election, 2017
The winner in this race wasLt. Gov.Ralph Northam (D). Clickhere to view vote totals for this election.Virginia held an election forgovernor onNovember 7, 2017.Gov.Terry McAuliffe (D) was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election.Lt. Gov.Ralph Northam (D), formerRepublican National Committee ChairmanEd Gillespie (R), and patent attorneyCliff Hyra (L) ran for the open seat. The most recent overallrace rating from five separate outlets was .[54] Virginia law requires that voters register 22 days in advance of an election, meaning that the final day to register to vote in this election was October 16, 2017.
On this page, you will findan overview of the three candidates that were running forgovernor andtheir stances on the major issues facing the state, as well asthe endorsements they earned. This is followed by information onpolling,campaign finance, andrace ratings. At the bottom of the page, information onpast elections andVirginia's political climate are provided to contextualize the election.
As winner of the election, Northam will preside overthe state's redistricting following the 2020 census and will have the ability to veto proposed district maps.[55]To see information about the June 13 primary election in this race, clickhere.
2013
TheVirginia gubernatorial election was held onNovember 5, 2013 following a Democratic primary election onJune 11, 2013 and a Republican statewide convention onMay 17-18, 2013.
IncumbentBob McDonnell (R) wasterm limited from running for re-election in 2013.
Democratic businessmanTerry McAuliffe defeatedRepublican Attorney GeneralKen Cuccinelli to take the seat.[56]
Past elections
See also: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021
Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (June 8 Democratic primary)
Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (May 8 Republican convention)
General election
General election for Governor of Virginia
Glenn Youngkin defeatedTerry McAuliffe,Princess Blanding, andPaul Davis in the general election for Governor of Virginia on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Glenn Youngkin (R) | 50.6 | 1,663,596 |
 | Terry McAuliffe (D) | 48.6 | 1,600,116 | |
 | Princess Blanding (Liberation Party) | 0.7 | 23,125 | |
 | Paul Davis (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,593 | ||
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 3,289,430 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brad Froman (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia
Terry McAuliffe defeatedJennifer D. Carroll Foy,Jennifer McClellan,Justin Fairfax, andLee Carter in the Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Terry McAuliffe | 62.1 | 307,367 |
 | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | 19.8 | 98,052 | |
 | Jennifer McClellan | 11.8 | 58,213 | |
 | Justin Fairfax | 3.6 | 17,606 | |
 | Lee Carter | 2.8 | 13,694 | |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 494,932 | ||
| = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican Convention for Governor of Virginia
The following candidates advanced in theranked-choice voting election:Glenn Youngkin in round 6 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
Candidate | % | Total Votes | Transfer | Round eliminated | ||
| Glenn Youngkin | 54.7 | 6,868 | 1,557 | Advanced (6) | |
 | Pete Snyder | 45.3 | 5,686 | 1,608 | 6 | |
 | Amanda Chase | 0.0 | 0 | -3,164 | 6 | |
 | Kirk Cox | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
 | Sergio de la Pena | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
 | Peter Doran | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Octavia L. Johnson | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Candidate | % | Total Votes | Transfer | Round eliminated | ||
| Glenn Youngkin | 42.3 | 5,311 | 979 | Advanced (6) | |
| Pete Snyder | 32.5 | 4,078 | 575 | 6 | |
| Amanda Chase | 25.2 | 3,164 | 305 | 6 | |
| Kirk Cox | 0.0 | 0 | -1,860 | 5 | |
| Sergio de la Pena | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Peter Doran | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Octavia L. Johnson | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Candidate | % | Total Votes | Transfer | Round eliminated | ||
| Glenn Youngkin | 34.5 | 4,332 | 183 | Advanced (6) | |
| Pete Snyder | 27.9 | 3,503 | 253 | 6 | |
| Amanda Chase | 22.8 | 2,859 | 239 | 6 | |
| Kirk Cox | 14.8 | 1,860 | 154 | 5 | |
| Sergio de la Pena | 0.0 | 0 | -830 | 4 | |
| Peter Doran | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Octavia L. Johnson | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Candidate | % | Total Votes | Transfer | Round eliminated | ||
| Glenn Youngkin | 33.0 | 4,149 | 8 | Advanced (6) | |
| Pete Snyder | 25.9 | 3,250 | 6 | 6 | |
| Amanda Chase | 20.9 | 2,620 | 8 | 6 | |
| Kirk Cox | 13.6 | 1,706 | 8 | 5 | |
| Sergio de la Pena | 6.6 | 830 | 17 | 4 | |
| Peter Doran | 0.0 | 0 | -48 | 3 | |
| Octavia L. Johnson | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Candidate | % | Total Votes | Transfer | Round eliminated | ||
| Glenn Youngkin | 33.0 | 4,141 | 9 | Advanced (6) | |
| Pete Snyder | 25.8 | 3,244 | 2 | 6 | |
| Amanda Chase | 20.8 | 2,612 | 6 | 6 | |
| Kirk Cox | 13.5 | 1,698 | 4 | 5 | |
| Sergio de la Pena | 6.5 | 813 | 8 | 4 | |
| Peter Doran | 0.4 | 48 | 6 | 3 | |
| Octavia L. Johnson | 0.0 | 0 | -34 | 1 |
Candidate | % | Total Votes | Transfer | Round eliminated | ||
| Glenn Youngkin | 32.9 | 4,132 | 0 | Advanced (6) | |
| Pete Snyder | 25.8 | 3,242 | 0 | 6 | |
| Amanda Chase | 20.8 | 2,606 | 0 | 6 | |
| Kirk Cox | 13.5 | 1,694 | 0 | 5 | |
| Sergio de la Pena | 6.4 | 805 | 0 | 4 | |
| Peter Doran | 0.3 | 42 | 0 | 3 | |
| Octavia L. Johnson | 0.3 | 34 | 0 | 1 |
| There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source | Total votes: 12,555 | ||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Merle Rutledge (R)
- Kurt Santini (R)
- Paul Davis (R)
2017
| Virginia Gubernatorial Election, 2017 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Ralph Northam | 53.86% | 1,405,041 | |
| Republican | Ed Gillespie | 44.98% | 1,173,326 | |
| Libertarian | Cliff Hyra | 1.16% | 30,241 | |
| Total Votes (2566/2566 precincts reporting) | 2,608,608 | |||
| Source:The New York Times, "Live Election Results: Virginia," November 7, 2017 | ||||
2013
| Virginia Gubernatorial General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Terry McAuliffe | 47.8% | 1,069,789 | |
| Republican | Ken Cuccinelli | 45.2% | 1,013,354 | |
| Libertarian | Robert Sarvis | 6.5% | 146,084 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0.5% | 11,087 | |
| Total Votes | 2,240,314 | |||
| Election Results viaVirginia State Board of Elections. | ||||
2009
The 2009 Virginia gubernatorial election was held onNovember 3, 2009, following a Democratic primary election on June 9, 2009 and a Republican statewide convention on May 30, 2009.Bob McDonnell (R) ran against Sen.Creigh Deeds (D) and won the election with 58.6% of the popular vote.[57]
| Governor of Virginia General Election, 2009 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Creigh Deeds | 41.3% | 818,950 | |
| Republican | Bob McDonnell | 58.6% | 1,163,651 | |
| None | Write In | 0.1% | 2,502 | |
| Total Votes | 1,985,103 | |||
2005
The 2005 Virginia gubernatorial election was held onNovember 8, 2005, following a Republican primary election on June 14, 2005.Tim Kaine (D) ran against Jerry Kilgore (R) and Russ Potts (I), and won the election with 51.72% of the popular vote.[58]
| Governor of Virginia General Election, 2005 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Tim Kaine | 51.7% | 1,025,942 | |
| Republican | Jerry Kilgore | 46% | 912,327 | |
| Independent | Russ Potts | 2.2% | 43,953 | |
| None | Write In | 0.1% | 1,556 | |
| Total Votes | 1,983,778 | |||
2001
The 2001 Virginia gubernatorial election was held onNovember 6, 2001, following a Republican convention on June 2, 2001.[59]Mark Warner (D) ran against Mark Earley (R) andWilliam "Bill" Redpath (L), and won the election with 52.16% of the popular vote.[60]
| Governor of Virginia General Election, 2001 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Mark Warner | 52.2% | 984,177 | |
| Republican | Mark Earley | 47% | 887,234 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Redpath | 0.8% | 14,497 | |
| None | Write In | 0% | 813 | |
| Total Votes | 1,886,721 | |||
2025 battleground elections
- See also:Battlegrounds
This was abattleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections included:
- Mayoral election in Albuquerque, New Mexico (2025)
- Mayoral election in Jersey City, New Jersey (2025)
- Texas' 18th Congressional District special election, 2025
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Axios Richmond, "Virginia set to elect first woman governor in 2025 race," April 8, 2025
- ↑USA Today, "Virginia's 2025 governor race is set. What to know about the high stakes election." April 20, 2025
- ↑Virginia has held odd-year elections since the state's constitution established the direct election of governors in 1851. The state's gubernatorial elections were moved from one year after the midterms to one year after the presidential election, following federal law that required the state to rewrite its constitution in 1868 after the Civil War. The 1868 constitution was ratified in 1869, the same year the state started holding gubernatorial elections, one year after the presidential election.
- ↑WAMU, "Why Does Virginia Hold Elections In Off-Off Years?" accessed September 13, 2017
- ↑WTOP, "Why Virginia’s likely Democratic nominee for governor is leaving ‘chaos’ of Congress to focus on the state," November 26, 2024
- ↑WFXR, "INTERVIEW: Representative Abigail Spanberger discusses campaign for governor," August 28, 2024
- ↑Winsome Earle-Sears 2025 campaign website, "Winsome Earle-Sears Secures Republican Nomination for Governor of Virginia," April 7, 2025
- ↑WTOP, "Virginia’s likely Republican nominee for governor reflects on her priorities, reentry into politics," November 26, 2024
- ↑InsiderAdvantage, "Final InsiderAdvantage Survey Virginia Governor’s Race: Winsome Earle-Sears Continues to Slide; Spanberger up by Ten Points," November 3, 2025
- ↑Emerson College, "Virginia 2025: Spanberger Leads Virginia Governor’s Race; Attorney General Contest Remains a Toss-Up," November 2, 2025
- ↑State Navigate, "Virginia Poll Shows Spanberger Maintaining Wide Lead, and a Dead Heat for Attorney General," November 1, 2025
- ↑AtlasIntel, "USA: 2025 Virginia Gubernatorial Election," October 31, 2025
- ↑Roanoke College, "Spanberger leads Earle-Sears by double digits; Jones now trails Miyares," October 30, 2025
- ↑Suffolk University ,"Final Virginia October Poll," accessed October 27, 2025
- ↑Virginia Commonwealth University, "October 2024 WS Commonwealth Poll," October 23, 2025
- ↑Quantus Insights, "Virginia 2025 General Election Survey," October 21, 2025
- ↑Washington Post, "Washington Post-Schar School Poll, "accessed October 27, 2025
- ↑co/efficient, "Virginia Statewide 2025 General Election," October 17, 2025
- ↑Trafalgar Group, Virginia Governor General Election Survey," accessed October 23, 2025
- ↑WJLA, "New poll shows Virginia governor's race tightening, Spanberger still leads," October 9, 2025
- ↑Christopher Newport University, "Virginia Election Survey Report, "October 6, 2025
- ↑Washington Post, "Spanberger holds wide lead in Virginia governor’s race, Post-Schar School poll finds," October 3, 2025
- ↑Emerson College, "Virginia 2025 Poll: Spanberger Holds 10-Point Lead over Earle-Sears for Governor," October 2, 2025
- ↑co/efficient, "Virginia Statewide General Election 2025," accessed September 26, 2025
- ↑Christopher Newport University, "VA Election 2025 Survey," September 18, 2025
- ↑For more information on the difference between margins of error and credibility intervals, see explanations from theAmerican Association for Public Opinion Research andIpsos.
- ↑Pew Research Center, "5 key things to know about the margin of error in election polls," September 8, 2016
- ↑Inside Electionsalso usesTiltratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
- ↑35.035.1Washington Post, "Democrats continue cash advantage in Virginia election campaigns," September 16, 2025
- ↑Politico, "Playbook: Trump sues the NYT," September 16, 2025
- ↑Politico, "Playbook: Fired up, ready to go again," August 29, 2025
- ↑Virginia Public Access Project, "Spanberger for Governor - Abigail," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑VoteVets, "About," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑Sports Betting Alliance, "About," accessed September 19, 2025
- ↑Must include signatures of at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district.
- ↑Must include signatures of at least 400 qualified voters from each congressional district.
- ↑Virginia's constitution prevents the governor from running for a second consecutive term, although there is no lifetime term limit, meaning governors can serve non-consecutive terms.
- ↑Los Angeles Times, "Trump-Biden rematch by proxy? A governor’s race is shaping up as a key post-Trump test," May 24, 2021
- ↑Leaders Magazine, "Financing the Road to the White House," July 2007
- ↑VoteSmart, "Terry McAuliffe," accessed April 6, 2021
- ↑Terry McAuliffe's 2021 campaign website, "Meet Terry," accessed June 18, 2021
- ↑Blue Virginia, "Video: Ahead of Democratic Gubernatorial Debate, Terry for Virginia Releases New Digital Ad Calling Out Extremist Glenn Youngkin for Running on Trumpism," May 20, 2021
- ↑YouTube, "Running for You," June 9, 2021
- ↑Facebook, "Terry McAuliffe," June 14, 2021
- ↑LinkedIn, "Glenn Youngkin," accessed April 5, 2021
- ↑’’Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey submitted on Feb. 19, 2021.’’
- ↑Facebook, "Glenn Youngkin," June 8, 2021
- ↑Ratings are based on projections found inGoverning,Larry Sabato,The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report,Decision Desk HQ, andThe Cook Political Report. These ratings are updated periodically throughout the election season.
- ↑Loyola Law School, "All About Redistricting - Virginia," accessed August 22, 2017
- ↑‘’FOX News,’’ “Democrat Terry McAuliffe wins Va. governor’s race, Fox News projects,” November 5, 2013
- ↑Virginia State Board of Elections, "Gov November 2009 General Election Official Results," accessed June 19, 2013
- ↑Virginia State Board of Elections, "General Election 2005 Official Results," accessed June 27, 2013
- ↑The Green Papers, Off Year Election 2001, May 28 2002
- ↑Virginia State Board of Elections, "General Election 2001 Official Results," accessed July 5, 2013
