Winsome Sears

Winsome Sears is a Jamaican-born American politician and United States Marine Corps veteran serving as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Virginia since 2022. A member of the Republican Party, she is the first woman of color and the first naturalized U.S. citizen to hold the office in Virginia. Sears previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2006, representing parts of Norfolk.

Early life and education

Winsome Sears was born on March 11, 1964, in Kingston, Jamaica, and immigrated to the United States with her family at the age of six, settling in the Bronx borough of New York City. Her father served in the United States Army and fought in the Korean War. Sears attended New York City College of Technology, where she earned an Associate of Science degree in electrical technology. She later moved to Virginia, completing a Bachelor of Arts in English from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in organizational leadership from Regent University.

Military service

In 1996, Sears enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, serving as a sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserve until 2000. Her service included work as an aviation operations specialist. This period of military service profoundly shaped her perspectives on leadership and public service, and she frequently references her Marine Corps background in her political career.

Political career

Sears began her political career with an upset victory in 2001, defeating 20-year incumbent William P. Robinson Jr., a Democrat, to represent the 90th district in the Virginia House of Delegates. During her single term from 2002 to 2006, she served on the Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee and the Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee. After leaving the General Assembly, she held appointments, including to the Virginia Board of Veterans Services and as a director of the Hampton Roads Workforce Development Board. In 2021, she was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia on a ticket with Glenn Youngkin, defeating Democrat Hala Ayala.

Political positions

Sears identifies as a conservative Republican and supports school choice policies, including charter schools and education savings accounts. A strong advocate for the Second Amendment, she opposes new gun control measures. On economic issues, she supports lower taxes, reduced regulations, and right-to-work laws. She is pro-life and has expressed support for policies to strengthen law enforcement and secure the southern border.

Electoral history

In the 2001 election for the Virginia House of Delegates 90th district, Sears defeated Democrat William P. Robinson Jr. She was unopposed for re-election in 2003. She ran for the United States House of Representatives in Virginia's 3rd congressional district in 2004 but lost in the Republican primary to incumbent Randy Forbes. In 2018, she sought the Republican nomination for United States Senate but lost to Corey Stewart. In the 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, she won the Republican nomination against opponents including Pete Snyder and Timothy Hugo, and defeated Democrat Hala Ayala in the general election. Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Lieutenant Governors of Virginia Category:Virginia Republicans Category:American people of Jamaican descent Category:Women state legislators in Virginia Category:Old Dominion University alumni Category:Regent University alumni Category:United States Marine Corps personnel