Former Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R-VA) is making her return to the Virginia public policy scene following her 2025 gubernatorial election loss with a statewide tour campaigning against constitutional amendments related to abortion and gay marriage.Earle-Sears, who fell to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) by over a 15-point margin in the gubernatorial election, has been open about her Christian faith and anti-abortion stances throughout both the 2025 campaign and her career in state politics. She also had a public spat with Spanberger over their differing stances on gay marriage during a gubernatorial debate, as Earle-Sears said it was “not discrimination” to believe gay couples should not be allowed to marry.
This year, Spanberger approved several constitutional amendments drafted by the state legislature for placement on the 2026 ballot for voter approval. Those amendments include one that enshrines a right to “reproductive freedom” throughout the state, “including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.” The other repeals language in the Virginia constitution that only validates a marriage between a man and a woman.
