LaRock, Chase Join Virginia Gubernatorial Race as Youngkin Renews Support for Winsome Earle-Sears

Two candidates joined Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in the race to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday, when both former State Senator Amanda Chase and former Delegate Dave LaRock made moves to enter the race.

Framing herself as the candidate most closely aligned with President Donald Trump, Chase announced her candidacy on Wednesday morning, claiming she determined to run for office after hearing rumors about the Earle-Sears campaign that would purportedly lead to a loss against former Representative Abigail Spanberger, who is likely to become the Democratic nominee.

“Many of you remember that I ran for Governor in 2020-2021, for 18 months as the pro-Trump candidate. In fact, many of you called me ‘Trump in Heels.’ I did well in the 9 candidate ranked choice convention,” said Chase in an email to supporters. “I finished 3rd, ahead of a popular former Speaker of the House. Many believed that had it been a primary, that I would have won.”

She added, “We need ‘Trump in Heels’ if we’re going to defeat Abigail Spanberger in November. I am that candidate.”

Efforts to recruit LaRock into the race began last week, when the candidate confirmed he was considering entering the contest after supporters began collecting signatures on his behalf.

After The Washington Post reported LaRock officially filed paperwork to run for governor on Wednesday, he unveiled a new campaign website in a post to the social media platform X, where he pledged to establish the Virginia Department of Government Efficiency (VaDOGE).

“Our vision is sharp, our mission is clear, and we’re ready to fight for Virginia’s future,” wrote LaRock. In another post to X, he added, “Together, we’ll cut waste with VaDOGE, lower the cost of living, protect parental rights, and fix education. Let’s put Virginia families first and take back our Commonwealth!”

Youngkin, who already endorsed Earle-Sears earlier this year, reiterated his support for his lieutenant governor in the wake of the decisions by LaRock and Chase to enter the race.

“I fully support [Earle-Sears] to be Virginia’s next governor. She has been a steadfast partner when it comes to standing up for parents, backing the blue, making Virginia the Top State for Business and delivering historic tax relief to lower the cost of living. She is a United States Marine who knows how to fight, a small business owner who knows what it means to sign the front of a paycheck, and a proven winner,” wrote Youngkin in a post to X.

The governor confirmed, “I will stand with her with every step of the way as our party unites and she wins in November.”

After thanking the governor for his endorsement, Earle-Sears wrote in her own post to X her candidacy is an opportunity to “keep that momentum going.”

While LaRock has promised to replicate the Trump administration’s DOGE-approach to cutting government, and Chase considers herself the Trump-aligned candidate, Earle-Sears recently confirmed her support for Trump and his nascent administration during an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show.”

Acknowledging she previously broke with Trump over his contest of the 2020 election results, Earle-Sears told The Virginia Star publisher John Fredericks she was won over by the president’s response to the attempt to assassinate him last year.

“I heard him say, after he was shot, after he was shot, I heard him say, ‘You know, God has saved my life, and He has saved my life for a purpose, and I am going to live for Him, and I humbly ask for your vote.’” Earle-Sears told Fredericks, “After that, we were good.”

– – –

Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Del. Dave LaRock” by Del. Dave LaRock.