Winsome Sears, a candidate for governor of Virginia, has announced her intention to protect boys and girls in sports as part of her campaign platform. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“I will fight for you, I will protect our boys and girls,” said Sears.
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who is currently running for governor of Virginia, has prioritized the protection of women’s and girls’ sports in her campaign. During a roundtable event titled “Women Win With Winsome,” she argued that policies allowing biological males to participate in female sports compromise fairness and safety. “Girls can’t win when competing against them,” she said. According to 7News, her campaign views this issue as a commonsense fight for youth protections.
Virginia officials are advancing policies that restrict transgender participation in women’s sports. The Virginia Board of Health has begun drafting a rule that would ban transgender women from competing on women’s teams. This follows the Virginia High School League’s earlier decision to ban transgender athletes at the K–12 level. Axios reports that these actions are part of a broader rollback of transgender rights within the state.
Recent polls indicate that Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a consistent lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the 2025 Virginia governor’s race. RealClearPolitics averages show Spanberger at 48.3% compared to Sears at 41.0%, while a Roanoke College poll reflects a similar margin of 46% to 39%. As summarized by Wikipedia from multiple polls, these figures underscore a competitive yet challenging race for Sears.
Earle-Sears is currently serving as the lieutenant governor of Virginia and is the Republican nominee for governor in 2025. A Jamaican immigrant and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, she previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004 and later on the State Board of Education. Wikipedia notes that she made history in 2021 as the first Black woman elected statewide in Virginia.
