Virginia

Winsome Earle-Sears, Abigail Spanberger will face off in key Virginia governor’s race

Published

2 months ago

April 9, 2025

Winsome Earle-Sears, Abigail Spanberger will face off in key Virginia governor’s race

In what could be a key 2025 bellwether, Virginia’s race for governor will also make history, all but guaranteeing the Commonwealth’s first female governor. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer, will face Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran, after both state parties confirmed their nominees in recent days.

One of the only competitive races of the year, the Virginia gubernatorial contest will be closely watched by both parties — and is often treated as a referendum on the president’s party. Historically, Virginia has voted for a governor of the opposite political party, every time a new president has been elected since 1977.

The race is already breaking state records for fundraising, with Earle-Sears raising more than $3 million from January to March and Spanberger raising around $6.7 million during the same period, according to the campaigns.

In an interview with “America Decides,” Spanberger told CBS News she believes national issues will weigh heavily on the race, from the Trump administration’s mass layoffs of federal employees, more than 144,000 of whom live in Virginia, as well as what she called an “antagonistic trade war.”

“All of this impacts Virginia, and the stakes of this election reflect that,” said Spanberger.

When asked whether Earle-Sears supports President Trump’s tariff policy, her campaign deflected but said in a statement, “After leftists like Joe Biden and Abigail Spanberger devastated our economy and standing in the world—President Trump is doing the work to put America first again.”

Earle-Sears has attacked Spanberger for her votes in Congress supporting Biden administration policies including the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed in 2022 with no Republican support. Earle-Sears argues it has contributed to inflation.

“I think it’s a ridiculous assertion given that my opponent has been eager to claim credit for some of the funding that came through some of those federal dollars to Virginia’s Commonwealth,” Spanberger told CBS News. “But, the reality is that my opponent is endeavoring to distract, because she’s not talking about the fact that we’ve seen an absolute tanking of the stock market because of Donald Trump’s actions.”

In 2021, Earle-Sears became the first Black woman ever elected to statewide office in Virginia. She will have to appeal to moderates and independent voters in the blue-leaning state but has given mixed messages on her support for Mr. Trump in recent years.

In 2020, she co-chaired the group “Black Americans to re-elect President Trump,” but in 2022, following the midterms, she told FOX Business it was “time to move on.”

“A true leader understands when they have become a liability,” she said during the interview. “A true leader understands when it’s time to step off the stage.”

She went on to vote for Mr. Trump in 2024. A source close to the campaign says she sees the president as a federal partner. It remains to be seen if Mr. Trump offers Earle-Sears an endorsement given the high stakes of this year’s few marquee races.

While Mr. Trump made inroads in Virginia during the 2024 presidential election, the state comfortably went for Vice President Kamala Harris in November.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is barred from serving back-to-back terms, endorsed his Lt. Governor early in the race.

Natalie Brand

Natalie Brand is a correspondent for CBS Newspath, based in Washington, D.C.

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Virginia

Five children hospitalized after Wythe County crash

Published

10 hours ago

May 24, 2025

Press Room

Five children hospitalized after Wythe County crash

WYTHE COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – Five children were hospitalized after a crash on I-81, mm 57.4 southbound in Wythe County Saturday, May 24, according to Virginia State Police.

Virginia State Police investigated a crash at 9 a.m., which resulted in multiple injuries and I-81 southbound completely blocked.

The driver of a Ford Transit passenger van struck a tractor trailer, according to police. Police say five children ranging from ages 1-8 were in the van, and all of them were hospitalized. All thirteen passengers have injuries, and most are non-life-threatening, according to police. Police say three Med Flight helicopters transported two individuals to a hospital with serious injuries.

The driver of the van, 39-year-old Harikanth Gaddam of Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, was charged with reckless driving.

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Virginia

Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for May 23, 2025

Published

1 day ago

May 24, 2025

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Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for May 23, 2025

The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at May 23, 2025, results for each game:

Mega Millions

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

07-18-40-55-68, Mega Ball: 18

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 5-7-9, FB: 4

Day: 6-7-8, FB: 7

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 8-8-7-6, FB: 3

Day: 1-5-2-1, FB: 0

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 7-8-9-9-6, FB: 6

Day: 9-2-5-7-8, FB: 8

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash4Life

Drawing everyday at 9 p.m.

12-31-37-53-59, Cash Ball: 01

Check Cash4Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash Pop

Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.

Coffee Break: 13

After Hours: 04

Prime Time: 10

Rush Hour: 12

Lunch Break: 04

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash 5

Drawing every day at 11 p.m.

07-15-24-36-41

Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Virginia

1.2 million Virginians expected to travel for Memorial Day despite economic concerns and rising gas prices

Published

2 days ago

May 23, 2025

Press Room

1.2 million Virginians expected to travel for Memorial Day despite economic concerns and rising gas prices

RICHMOND, Va. — Nearly 1.23 million Virginians are expected to travel over the Memorial Day holiday weekend despite economic concerns, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

The number is slightly higher than last year but represents the lowest year-over-year growth rate for the holiday in nearly a decade.

“We know that economic uncertainty, cost of goods, things like that, is top of mind for a lot of people. So, that could be part of the reason why the growth this year isn’t as much as it’s been over the past couple of years,” AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Morgan Dean said.

More than one million Virginians will drive to their holiday destinations, AAA reported. Dean said that figure is very similar to the record number of travelers who hit the road for Memorial Day back in 2005.

“It’s going to be busy no matter how you’re traveling, be it getting to the airport or if you’re hitting the roadway or perhaps hitting the railways or grabbing a bus,” he said. “There’s going to be a good amount of people out there, and that’s a big reminder.”

AAA shared that gas prices are on the rise, but they’re still about 40 cents cheaper than this time last year.

Meanwhile, Virginia State Police warned all available troopers and supervisors will be working over the holiday weekend.

VSP said their troopers investigated 13 fatalities on Virginia’s roads during the four-day holiday last year.

Troopers cited more than 3,500 drivers for speeding and 1,400 drivers for reckless driving during that time period last year. They arrested 92 people for driving under the influence and cited 303 drivers for violating the “hands-free” phone law.

The state’s “Click it or Ticket” campaign is in full effect this weekend, too.

“This is a tremendously busy time of year, with graduations, vacations, parties and moves,” Superintendent of Virginia State Police Colonel Matthew Hanley said. “We need Virginians to slow down, to exercise patience, drive safely and arrive alive. We would rather you arrive late and alive than not at all.”

Funds generated from summonses issued by Virginia State Police go directly to court fees and the state’s Literary Fund, which benefits public school construction, technology funding and teacher retirement.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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