EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears released the first ad directly confronting her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Tuesday.
The ad intends to link Spanberger, who formerly represented Washington exurbs around Fredericksburg, Culpeper and King George, to an uptick in violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants in an otherwise safe region.
The ad opens with TV news clips reporting the arrest of a Honduran national charged with “abduction with intent to defile and rape,” after he allegedly robbed and assaulted a woman on the popular W&OD Rail Trail near John Foster Dulles International Airport.
“He was found guilty of a separate sex crime just days earlier, but he was released 25 days early,” one reporter is heard saying.
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The ad then plays a montage of clips and commentary on similar incidents in Loudoun, Fairfax and Arlington counties from reporters, including Fox News’ Laura Ingraham.
The ad then shifts to focusing on Spanberger, depicting former President Joe Biden, whom Republicans accuse of engineering a lax border policy, calling her “a friend.”
A clip of CNN Capitol Hill reporter Manu Raju appears, with the reporter saying Spanberger “seems to be to the left of Joe Biden.”
“I consider myself to be a progressive,” Spanberger says in a clip.
“No, I do not support the border wall,” she says in another.
Earle-Sears said Spanberger “voted for open borders, voted for sanctuary cities, voted our schools to be turned into shelters for these illegal criminal elements, and we’re not having that.”
A Spanberger spokesperson called the ad a “distraction attempt” that is coming from a “campaign facing a heated, messy Republican primary.”
Earle-Sears faces former state Del. David LaRock of Berryville and former state Sen. Amanda Chase of Colonial Heights in the GOP primary.
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“Abigail is a former CIA case officer and federal law enforcement officer who has defended our country from terrorism, tracked cartels and arrested criminals,” the spokesperson said.
“And as a member of Congress, she led bipartisan bills that were signed into law by both President Trump and President Biden to disrupt fentanyl trafficking at our ports of entry, combat Mexican cartels and secure our borders,” the spokesperson added. “She understands the security threats facing Virginia families. And as the next governor of Virginia, she will use her experience to help keep Virginians safe and crack down on violent offenders.”
Peyton Vogel, a spokesperson for Earle-Sears, countered that Spanberger supported “reckless immigration policies that have made Virginia less safe.”
“She voted against deporting illegal immigrants convicted of violent crimes, putting politics ahead of public safety. The consequences of her decisions are devastating — real families, real victims and real tragedies that could have been prevented,” Vogel said.
A pollster recently interviewed by the Washington Examiner about what is one of only two governors races this year — the other being New Jersey — indicated Earle-Sears is faring better among Republicans than Spanberger is among Democrats.
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The pollster, Brett Buchanan of Cygnal, also told the outlet President Donald Trump’s return to office is influencing the race.
Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s unexpected victory over former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2021, Virginia voters have consistently favored Democrats in every major race.
The left now narrowly controls the Richmond legislature by a two-vote margin in each chamber, and Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine soundly defeated Republican challenger Hung Cao in November statewide.
Trump also lost Virginia by about six points, but supporters have said he successfully narrowed the typical gap in both “blue” 2025 gubernatorial contest states, a purported sign of GOP resurgence.
Youngkin’s win was influenced by the public safety issue, especially in the Northern Virginia counties Earle-Sears highlighted in her ad.
Youngkin also spent a lot of time campaigning 400 to 500 miles on the other side of the commonwealth in its southwestern counties, like Lee, Dickenson and Wise, which are sparsely populated but heavily Republican.
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