November's winner will make history as the first female governor of Virginia: Abigail Spanberger for the Democrats or Winsome Earle-Sears for the GOP

Virginia primaries draw attention as voters select candidates amid Trump's DOGE cuts, with Republicans fielding a diverse ticket and Democrats seeing high turnout

With just hours to go before Virginia’s statewide primary, Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor and attorney general have been saturating the airwaves with aggressive ads targeting President Donald Trump.

The race between Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears will, regardless of the result, install the commonwealth’s first female governor.

This fall’s gubernatorial race in Virginia will make history no matter the winner: Either Democrat Abigail Spanberger or Republican Winsome Earle-Sears will become the state’s first elected female governor.

Virginia Democrats will settle a crowded six-way primary for lieutenant governor on Tuesday as well as a contested nomination fight for state attorney general.

Democratic candidates Jay Jones and Shannon Taylor have questioned each other’s fitness for the office. The victor will face Attorney General Jason Miyares (R).

Rouse won a January 2023 special election for a Virginia Senate seat vacated by now-U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, and then won a full term in the November 2023 election for the 7th Senate District. He previously served on the Virginia Beach City Council and played in the NFL.