ABC News projects Democrat Abigail Spanberger will win the closely watched governor's race, besting Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and becoming the first woman elected governor of Virginia.

Virginia Beach Sheriff Rocky Holcomb, 57, has been reelected. He was leading by more than 30,000 votes at 9:15 p.m., according to unofficial results reported to the state.

In Virginia, voters have a mix of local concerns and national topics on their minds. One October survey from the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at Christopher Newport University found that likely voters were in particular thinking about democracy,

Spanberger becomes the state’s first female governor. She beat Republican opponent Winsome Earle-Sears, the state’s lieutenant-governor, 54.9 per cent to 44.9 per cent with 35 per cent of the vote counted, according to the AP.

See the live race results in the major races in the 2025 elections, including New York City mayor and the Virginia and New Jersey races for governor.

Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat and former Virginia congresswoman, has for months been favored over her Republican opponent, Winsome Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor. But a texting scandal involving the Democratic candidate for attorney general has added a degree of unpredictability in the race’s final weeks. See the latest polls.