Staff Reports
In the exciting world of politics, sometimes it feels like voters are asked to choose between common sense and utter nonsense. Virginia’s lieutenant governor candidate, Winsome Sears, is feeling pretty confident these days. She’s been out there making her case to voters, saying she’s got the plain old common sense ideas that people are craving. In her view, the opposite isn’t just a policy disagreement—it’s a plunge into a head-scratching fantasy land courtesy of her opponent, Abigail Spanberger.
On the ground, things look promising for Sears. She claims the polls that actually matter—those filled with real voters—are tipping in her favor. Republicans are energized, showing up in droves, while she humorously suggests Democrats are so lacking in enthusiasm they’ve had to bring in Barack Obama to drum up some excitement. It’s almost like they’ve been caught in a game of political charades, trying to convince folks that they care while floundering for real solutions.
Sears doesn’t mince words when it comes to Spanberger’s policy positions. She’s pointed out that Spanberger’s ideas on gender and privacy in schools are out of touch with Virginia voters who expressed their views very loudly in the last elections. According to Sears, her opponent’s desire to open up female locker rooms to males doesn’t sit well with parents concerned for their daughters. And then there are the grand plans to increase taxes and the seeming lack of interest in keeping communities safe. It’s a combination that Sears believes should send voters running in the opposite direction.
For those living in the colorful, fast-paced world of Northern Virginia, Winsome Sears has laid out what she calls a vision of sanity. In her campaign, everything ties back to economic sense and public safety—things everyone, regardless of political alignment, can rally behind. But she criticizes Spanberger’s dreams of making Virginia into a clean energy utopia without a plan for the present. The notion that Virginians would leap into a green future without considering the economic ramifications brings out her inner skeptic. “Maybe Spanberger should try her policies out in California,” Sears quipped, hinting at the ongoing energy debacles in the Golden State.
Sears is also baffled by Spanberger’s role in the federal government’s antics. While Spanberger backed the Inflation Reduction Act, government shut-downs remain a bitter pill for federal workers in Virginia to swallow. Sears accuses Democrats of using people’s livelihoods as political pawns, seemingly indifferent to the real-world consequences. Sears is intent on highlighting these gaps and engaging voters, who she feels might just be ready for a little more practicality and a little less theatrical politicking.
In the end, Winsome Sears is making a pitch that calls into question the direction where the Democrats are headed. Will Virginia voters see her vision as the “win some, lose none” choice for their state? The drama continues as the election day draws nearer, and if nothing else, it’s certain to be one heck of a political showdown.
