It’s on…
Multiple challengers jumped into Virginia’s Republican primary for governor with 10 months until the election.
Former state delegate Dave LaRock and former state senator Amanda Chase declared their candidacies within days of each other, throwing the Republican primary into uncertainty. Their entries come just as Spanberger opened a double-digit lead over Earle-Sears for the first time in a Roanoke College poll released earlier this week.
LaRock, a former state delegate from Loudoun County, is positioning himself as a staunch conservative alternative to Earle-Sears.
His campaign website touts him as a “proven conservative leader who delivers” and promises to “protect taxpayers’ money from fraud and waste, uphold constitutional rights, defend life, and ensure safe communities and schools.”
LaRock has also voiced support for the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an initiative led by billionaire Elon Musk. He has not responded to requests for comment for this story, but his website takes aim at Earle-Sears, claiming she “offers platitudes and backtracks on conservative values.”
Chase, who represented Chesterfield County in the state Senate for eight years before losing a primary challenge to Sen. Glen Sturtevant, is no stranger to statewide campaigns — or controversy.
Chase has been widely characterized as a far-right figure and a promoter of election conspiracy theories. She has been called one of Virginia’s most vocal spreaders of false claims about the 2020 election and drew attention for attending Trump’s rally before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Chase previously launched an unsuccessful bid for governor in late 2020, branding herself as “Trump in Heels.” After her Senate defeat, she moved to Appomattox to seek the Republican nomination in Senate District 10, but lost in a party-run mass meeting to Republican Luther Cifers.
Despite the primary challenge, Earle-Sears retains strong institutional support. On Wednesday evening, Gov. Glenn Youngkin took to X to reaffirm his backing of Earle-Sears, calling her “Virginia’s next governor.” He praised her record on parental rights, law enforcement, business growth, and tax relief, pledging to “stand with her every step of the way as our party unites and she wins in November.”