Who’s on the ballot in Virginia this November?
Photos courtesy of the candidates' campaigns, Miyares' website. Photo illustration by Milena Paul.
Sal Orlando, Contributing Writer
Virginians will have the opportunity to vote on Nov. 4 for their next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates members as the 2025 statewide election approaches. The Commonwealth Times put together a brief rundown for students looking to get informed on the candidates:
Virginia’s next governor will be a woman
Current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is Republican nominee for governor. Earle-Sears is running to be tough on crime, repeal Virginia’s controversial “car tax” and uphold Virginia’s right-to-work policy, according to her website. She is also supportive of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts.
The Democratic nominee is former 7th Congressional District Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who wants to grow and subsidize Virginia’s labor force, strengthen public schools and lower costs for healthcare and drug prescriptions, according to her website. She broke from many Democrats by saying she would also uphold right-to-work.
The July 2025 VCU Wilder School of Government’s Commonwealth Poll gives Spanberger a substantial lead in the race with 48% over Sears’s 36%.
Lieutenant governor race scarred by Republican infighting
The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor is radio host John Reid. His campaign website outlines plans to expand affordable community college and trade school programs, use market-oriented solutions to make childcare more affordable and protect Virginians from “radical social agendas.”
Reid faced controversy after current Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin requested he drop out of the race when his Tumblr account featuring sexually explicit imagery was allegedly leaked. Reid has continuously denied the account was his.
Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, is the Democratic nominee. Hashmi’s campaign has an emphasis on reproductive freedom, gun violence prevention and protecting American democracy from Trump, according to her website. She has been supportive of student protesters at VCU and called a Senate meeting in 2024 to examine pro-Palestinian protests and police responses that occurred on college campuses.
The July 2025 Commonwealth Poll has Hashmi leading with 46% over Reid’s 36%.
Attorney general race pits incumbent against a former delegate
Current Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares is running for reelection. Miyares plans to advance his current values: combating violent crime and promoting public safety, according to his website.
Former Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, is opposing Miyares. Jones’s platform has an emphasis on protecting Virginians’ rights with a focus on abortion and civil and constitutional rights, according to his website.
The July 2025 Commonwealth Poll gives Jones the upper hand over Miyares, beating him 46% to 37%.
VCU is located within Virginia’s 78th Congressional District and is currently being represented by Del. Betsy Carr. Carr is running for reelection against Republican Rich Prado. Carr won the deep-blue district by 76% in 2023, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
One of the most diverse ballots in state history
Both parties are presenting a wide array of diverse candidates on their statewide tickets, reflecting Virginia’s evolving demographics.
With Spanberger and Earle-Sears, both gubernatorial candidates are women — Earle-Sears being the first woman of color to hold statewide office in Virginia.
Hashmi was the first Muslim and Southeast Asian woman elected to the Virginia Senate, and Jones was once the youngest Black member of the House of Delegates.
On the Republican side, Reid is the first openly gay candidate to land on the ballot, and Miyares was the first Latino man to hold statewide office in Virginia.
