Now its Virginia's governor's race that is polling in margin of error as Sears surges | Eastern NC Now

Two states go to the polls next month to elect new governors to replace term limited incumbents, solidly Democrat New Jersey and Democrat tilting Virginia. Not long ago, the Democrat nominees had double digit leads in polls in both states, but current polling shows both of them too close to call as Republicans surge.

The latest polling in Virginia, from A2 Insights shows Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears within the margin of error with flailing former Democrat Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.  Sears would be the state's first black female governor, and is also a legal immigrant and ex US Marine.  Analysts have also pointed to the much larger than usual turn out of GOP voters in early voting.  Sears is blasting Spanberger for calling on voters to display "rage".  Sears is also pushing for more protection of women and girls in school sports teams, locker rooms, and restrooms by not allowing biological men in them, while Spanberger cannot seem to articulate a position on those issues.  Northern Virginia also has a high population of federal workers who are being hammered by the Democrats' Schumer Shutdown.

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/10/01/poll-winsome-earle-sears-surges-margin-error-abigail-spanberger-virginia/

The surge in Virginia follows one in the governors race in New Jersey, where several polls have shown that race tied.   Polls in NJ also show President Trump more popular in the state than the Democrats' incumbent governor.

Meanwhile, outgoing Republican Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin is doubling down on the issue of biological men on womens sports teams and in womens locker rooms and showers in schools.   He has ordered the Virginia Board of Health to devise rules governing those issues in schools and prohibiting the practices of some liberal school boards.

https://thefederalist.com/2025/10/02/youngkin-orders-virginia-board-to-protect-girls-sports-locker-rooms-from-trans-identifying-men/

https://dailycaller.com/2025/10/02/duke-virginia-winsome-sears-abigail-spanberger-gubernatorial-race-transgender-school/

Even in leftwing California, high school girls are organizing walkout protests over schools allowing biological boys into their restrooms.

https://redstate.com/jenniferoo/2025/10/02/the-kids-are-all-right-so-cal-high-school-girls-walk-out-of-class-to-protest-transgender-bathroom-use-n2194667