Former Del. Dave LaRock officially filed paperwork with the Virginia Department of Elections to run for governor — setting up a potential primary between him and Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears for the Republican nomination.
“While the GOP’s presumptive nominee offers platitudes and backtracks on conservative values, LaRock takes action—defending parental rights, backing law enforcement, and fighting for Virginia’s future,” LaRock’s campaign website states.
“Virginia is under attack,” he wrote on his website in his priorities section. “Our children are being abused by woke extremists who have hijacked our schools, our cities are becoming sanctuary zones for illegal immigrants, and Biden’s inflation is suffocating our families.”
LaRock served in the House of Delegates for ten years before he ran for an open state Senate seat in 2023 after redistricting.
He came in second behind Timmy French for the nomination. He tried to run as a write-in candidate against French in the general election, but that movement was not successful.
Prior to losing in 2023, LaRock experienced some legal trouble following some disputes with a neighbor.
He was charged with four misdemeanors in 2021, including trespassing and destroying a posted sign.
He was found guilty of two misdemeanor charges relating to pulling down a neighbor’s fence. The charges were reduced from criminal to civil and he was forced to pay two $25 fines.
LaRock was also present at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when Donald Trump supporters stormed the building overpowering law enforcement.
He condemned the violence and entrance into the Capitol but defended the rest of the people in D.C. that day who contested the 2020 election results.
He said in a statement at the time: “Massive crowds in DC were law-abiding, patriotic, mom and pop, young adults pushing baby carriages. They were peaceful protesters who shared distrust in the system that asserts that Joe Biden won, an opinion shared by a growing number of members of Congress.”
Getting on the ballot will be no easy feat for LaRock.
He will need 10,000 signatures from qualified voters, including 400 from each congressional district. The last day to file the paperwork is April 3.
“Virginia has a high threshold for petition signatures to get on the ballot, it requires time and organization,” said Aaron Fritschner, the deputy chief of staff for Rep. Don Beyer, D-VA08. “In practice, this helps distinguish whether a candidacy is noise or action, especially as the deadline nears.”
The Sears campaign welcomed a challenge last week.
“Winsome is a proven winner and has quickly built a sweeping coalition of supporters that position her to overwhelmingly win any prospective primary and defeat Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger in November,” Sears campaign spokesperson David Abrams said when LaRock announced he was considering a run. “Challengers can enter the race, but the outcome will be the same. Winsome Sears will be the next Governor of Virginia.”
Recent polling from Roanoke College showed the presumptive Democratic candidate, Abigail Spanberger, with a 15-point lead over Sears.
Former two-term Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling commented on the poll and gave his opinion on Sears’ candidacy.
“I seriously doubt that Abigail Spanberger’s lead over Winsome Earle Sears in the 2025 Governor’s race is 15%, but I have no doubt that Spanberger has a sizable lead,” he wrote.
Bolling also said Sears is not a strong statewide candidate.
“It’s time for Republicans to get real. Winsome Sears is not a strong statewide candidate. If she is the Republican nominee, she will lose,” he wrote.
He referenced the fact that Virginia most often votes for the party that is not controlling the White House, also noting that there might not be any Republican in Virginia who could win this year.
“The question is, in a state that favors Democrats, and in a year that will likely favor Democrats, is there any Republican who could win?” he concluded.