In a sign that Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears is trying to avoid the same fate that took down Rep. Bob Good, she is publicly supporting Donald Trump’s bid for president after previously expressing doubts about his candidacy.
Republican insiders widely expect Sears to seek the Republican nomination for governor next year. But her past comments about the former president could potentially hurt her—just like they did to Good, who supported Ron DeSantis in the presidential primary and then faced the wrath of Trump and his supporters — resulting in him losing his primary against state Sen. John McGuire.
For context, Sears called Trump a liability to Republicans in 2022 after Democrats overperformed during congressional midterm elections.
“What we saw was, even though he wasn’t on the ballot, he was, because he stepped in and endorsed candidates,” Earle-Sears told The Washington Post at the time. “And yet, it turns out that those he did not endorse on the same ticket did better than the ones he did endorse. That gives you a clue that the voters want to move on. And a true leader knows when they have become a liability to the mission.”
She also stated she would not endorse anyone in the Republican primary.
“Well, you know I support family,” she said in 2022. “I’m not endorsing anybody.”
Recently, however, she has been expressing public support for Trump after he easily earned the Republican nomination.
During an appearance in Nelson County earlier this week, Sears stated that she would be supporting Trump.
She also went on Fox News in May and defended Trump after he was convicted on a long list of felony charges.
“Where was the case against Hillary for wiping her server? Where is the case against President Biden trying to discover what his involvement was in Hunter Biden’s business with China and with Russia,” she said.
Trump’s supporters have not forgotten her comments from 2022, however.
“When the chips were down, and it mattered, Winsome Sears came out publicly as an avowed, never Trumper, said he couldn’t win and said he would be a disaster as a candidate,” said John Fredericks, Virginia’s Trump campaign chair in 2016 and 2020, in a phone interview Friday morning. “Now, all of a sudden, when she wants to run for governor, and she understands that without MAGA behind her, there’s no way she’s going to get the nomination, let alone have any chance of beating Spanberger, now all of a sudden she is for Trump. Welcome aboard. Great to have you for this campaign. Hope you can carry Virginia. MAGA voters have a long memory, and you are the last person we vote for for the gubernatorial nomination.
Sears’ office did not respond to a call or text for comment on this story.
In addition to Sears, sources say that Attorney General Jason Miyares is considering seeking the nomination.
Neither Sears nor Miyares has made a public statement about their intention to run at this time, however.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-VA07, is the only Democrat currently running for governor.