Transcript of 'Common Sense Will Win’: Winsome Earle-Sears on Her Tight Virginia Race

I'm wondering why my opponent won't say beyond its abhorrent and disgusting why she won't say it is not okay and that he must leave the race because J Jones advocated the murder, Abigail, the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were two and five years old. You have little girls. What if he said it about your three children? Is that when you would say he should get out of the race, Abigail? That was Democrat Abigail Spanberger facing off with Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsum Earl Sears in a gubernatorial debate that went viral. The two are locked in a tight race for governor of the key state of Virginia that will be decided on Tuesday, November fourth.

In this episode, we sit down with the Lieutenant Governor to discuss as the state of the race and the role she believes Virginia will play in 2026 and 2028. I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. This is a weekend edition of Morning Wire.

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Joining us now is Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsum, Earle Sears. Lieutenant Governor, thank you so much for coming on.

Thank you for having me. It's a great day.

First, you're in a very tight race for the governor. We're in the final days from the election. The contest is between you and Democrat Abigail Spanberger. We've been tracking the polls, and things have really tightened pretty significantly in recent weeks. First, how do you feel about your chances right now?

We're going to win because we're the ones with the common sense ideas that are going to keep Virginia moving. I'm talking about we're going to make sure that the taxes stay low. My opponent has already said that she's going to increase taxes. We're going to make sure that you're safe and secure, Virginia. My opponent has already said she's going to make Virginia a sanctuary state, meaning that if you're a criminal and you're illegally here, you're going to get sanctuary. But then again, she didn't have to say it because that's how she voted. She voted for that, voted to keep our borders open. You see now with the problems that we have in trying to get those who are criminals and illegally Really here, gone. Then, of course, she is going to, in not keeping us safe, she's going to get rid of the qualified immunity and defund the police because that's what she voted for. We must believe her record, not what she says. Now, suddenly, she's saying when it comes to businesses and jobs, that she is going to keep right to work, meaning you're not going to be forced to join a union.

She just said that two days ago to the chamber of commerce, et cetera. Can't believe her, the unions have given her $1. 4 million. They're looking at a return on that investment. They've given me zero, which means they understand I'm going to make sure that workers don't have to be forced to join a union, don't have to be forced at all to make decisions for them. They keep more of their money in their pocket.

As for your internal polling, do you see the same thing that we've seen publicly in terms of the tightening of the race? What are you guys looking at?

Right. This race was much, much closer than the mainstream media has been saying. But then again, it's a shame. I'm from a third-world country, and I've seen what happens when the media decides that they're going to support one political side and against the other. We don't expect that in our media, not in America, but that's where we are today. The media has used lying polls, come straight from the Democrats, that at one point said, I was down 20 points. They knew the truth when we had video of Abigail Spamberger telling her supporters that this was a toss-up race, and it's okay because she's been here before. The one time, I want the media to believe her, they don't. We know we're going to win this because we, again, have the right ideas, which is we're going to support parents. Parents, they don't want their girl children being forced to undress in front of nude men. That's what my opponent has not just supported, but she voted. I got her on the debate stage to finally say she wouldn't support that. But then again, the very next question, she flipped right back because that's what's in her heart.

My policies will protect independent's children, Democrats' children, and Republicans' children.

Now, you mentioned that debate, and I actually wanted to ask you about that. That really went viral in part because of the controversy surrounding the Democrat candidate for attorney general in the state. That's Jay Jones. You say he should have pulled out of the race. You've called on Spanberger to demand the same. Why do you believe this is so important?

Well, because here you have a man running for political office who, when he had political office, advocated the murder of his opponent and also advocated the murder of his two children who were two and five years old at the time. Who is this man, J Jones? We cannot have him. Is that what we want in America? Then, by the way, my opponent, she's not too far behind because she has said, Let your rage fuel you. What rage are you talking about, Abigail? Fuel what, Abigail? And against whom, Abigail? I mean, these people, Abigail Spamberger cannot be governor. We needed her to tone the rhetoric down, and instead, she's turned it up. She's politically calculating and cunning. I used to think it was cowardice, but I see now, no. She wants power, she wants control, and so she refuses to say the right thing, which is to tell Jay Jones to get out of the race.

Her stance is now that she's going to stay out of that issue, that it's his race, a separate race, that she's not going to weigh in. I should note here that we have reached out to her team to try to get comment, no reply. Do you believe it really is incumbent on her to openly denounce him?

I tell you what, if she were asking him for a resume to work in her cabinet, let's say, and she heard that he had said that his political opponent should be murdered and his children as well, do you think that she give him that job? No, she wouldn't. If she wouldn't give him a job, then why don't you pull your endorsement, Abigail? He advocated murder.

Democrats will continue to say, Look, there's heated rhetoric from both sides of the aisle. This is nothing different on the Democrat side than you would see on the Republican side. How do you respond to that?

I have not heard a Republican advocate for murder of a political opponent, and I've not heard a Republican advocate for murder of the opponent's children, and I've not heard them say that the Republican opponent, the wife, was breeding little fascists. Breeding, quote, unquote, little fascists. Come on. We want to be safe in Virginia, in America. We just want peace and quiet, and you go do your thing and let me do mine. And yet the Democrats who claim to tolerate people, yes, only accept if you don't agree with them. And they claim to love everybody, except no, they don't really. We cannot have these people, Abigail Spamberger, Jay Jones, and Gonsalah Hashem, as our three top leaders. No, not in Virginia.

Final question here. What role do you see Virginia playing in the broader national Republican movement heading into 2026 and 2028?

I think we're expanding the tent here in Virginia. I mean, here I am, an immigrant to this great country, and I'm running to be governor of our Commonwealth. I mean, it's really unheard of, and I think it's a great thing. My father came to America with only $1. 75 in his pocket at a time when it wasn't good for us. People looked like me, and it was actually 17 days before Dr. King gave his I Have A Dream speech. Now here, my father, with his only $1. 75, has made good, and he's comfortably retired. Now here I am, his daughter, ready to be governor. America is a great country. Does she have her fault? Of course. But I tell you what, it's the best we've got, and we're going to keep building.

Lieutenant governor, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us.

Thank you very much for having me. Thank you, sir.

That was Virginia Lieutenant Governor and Republican Gubernatorial candidate, Winsum, Earl Sears. This has been a Weekend Edition of MorningWire.