Virginia’s Gubernatorial Election is Coming Up! Here’s Why it Matters

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

On the November 4th election, Virginians will have the opportunity to vote for Virginia’s next Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and their representative in the House of Delegates.

Who are the candidates?

Abigail Spanberger (D) and Winsome Earle-Sears (R) are Virginia’s candidates for governor. The state’s current Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) cannot run for reelection as Virginia has a law against serving for consecutive terms, so he has endorsed Earle-Sears, who has served as his Lieutenant Governor for the past four years. Spanberger has served three terms in the United States House of Representatives, but did not seek reelection in 2023 so she could begin her campaign for governor.

The candidates for Lieutenant Governor are Ghazala Hashmi (D) and John Reid (R). Hashmi served in Virginia’s Senate for six years prior to her campaign for Lieutenant Governor. Reid has not held office before, but is a conservative talk show radio host and openly gay man. He is a controversial figure due to allegedly being linked to explicit online content and earlier on in his campaign was advised by Governor Youngkin to drop out of the race.

Jay Jones (D) and Jason Miyares (R) are the candidates for Attorney General. Jones held office in Virginia’s House of Delegates and also served as Assistant Attorney General in D.C.’s Office of Consumer Protection. He has recently come under fire after texts from 2022 leaked in which he called for violence against the then Speaker of the House. Miyares is Virginia’s current Attorney General and as such is running for reelection. He also previously held office in Virginia’s House of Delegates.

In addition to these three important positions being up for election, all 100 members of the House of Delegates are up for reelection. To find out who is running for the House of Delegates in your district, you can use this link and enter your address to see your complete ballot.

Why Does this matter?

In Virginia, the election for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general takes place every 4 years and always takes place the year after the presidential election. This means it serves as an opportunity for Virginians to make their voices heard, especially in the wake of the results of the presidential election.

While many know the role of the governor as the primary leader of the state, some may not be as familiar with the importance of the roles of attorney general and lieutenant governor.

The attorney general is the top legal advisor of the state and its people. Their job includes representing the state in court, enforcing laws, and providing legal guidance both to the governor and the rest of the government.

The lieutenant governor serves as the president of Virginia’s Senate, meaning that they cast tie-breaking votes. Currently Democrats hold a narrow majority in Virginia’s Senate, with a 21-19 majority. This means that the position of lieutenant governor is especially important currently, as the winner will potentially cast deciding votes on crucial pieces of legislation.

Additionally, all 100 members of the House of Delegates being up for election especially matters this year because Virginia’s General Assembly is in the process of adding 3 amendments to the state constitution. These amendments would protect abortion access and same-sex marriage by enshrining them as constitutional rights, as well as restore felons who have completed their sentences with the right to vote. Before any of these amendments can be ratified however, they must go through both the Senate and the House of Delegates. The resulting party majority in the House of Delegates after this election will play a part in determining whether or not these amendments will be ratified.

Some Voting Information

Check your registration status here, and if you aren’t registered to vote, you can use that link to register!

Polling places will be open from 6:00am-7:00pm on November 4th (Election Day) and voters should bring a valid form of ID to vote.

If you can’t vote on Election Day, you can apply to vote by mail or you can vote early in person. Deadlines and further information on these voting options can be found here. As a college student myself, I will be voting early over my fall break and I encourage others going home for break to do the same!

If you are eligible to vote, please do so! Every vote matters, and it only takes a few minutes to exercise your constitutional right and help shape the future of Virginia.