Winsome Earle-Sears

Winsome Earle-Sears, born in Kingston, Jamaica, immigrated to the United States at age six. She is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where she served as an electrician. Earle-Sears holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Old Dominion University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Regent University. Her political career began in 2002 when she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, becoming the first Republican to win in a majority-Black district since 1865. She has also served as the Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education and on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. In 2021, she was elected as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, making her the first woman and first woman of color to hold statewide office in Virginia. She is also a businesswoman, having owned and operated a plumbing and electrical business.