Two Republican state lawmakers have jumped into the race to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) as Virginia‘s next chief executive, threatening Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears‘s (R-VA) lock on the GOP nomination.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears began the week as the clear Republican gubernatorial frontrunner, but in just days, her once-uncontested path to the nomination has turned into a primary fight. With 10 months until Virginia’s gubernatorial election,

Dave LaRock and Amanda Chase, both former Virginia legislators, have announced they each are running for the Republican nomination for governor. If they garner the signatures to qualify, they will challenge current Lt.

Sears. However, with two new candidates making a late entry into the race, it seems that the result could now be up in the air. “It’s kind of wild last-minute stuff,” said Randolph-Macon Political Science Professor Rich Meagher.

Beyond presenting himself as an ally to Trump, Dave LaRock has also detailed plans to create Virginia’s own version of the Department of Government Efficiency.

LaRock, who represented Loudoun in the House of Delegates from 2014 to 2024, says he wants to set up a Virginia version of DOGE, the Trump administration's effort to cut

Virginia state Sen. Amanda Chase (R) announced late Wednesday that she is running for governor, becoming the latest Republican to launch a primary challenge against front-runner Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R).