Winsome Sears celebrated her election as Virginia’s lieutenant governor by delivering a patriot victory speech in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
At her election night party in Chantilly, Virginia, Sears supporters chanted "Winsome! Winsome! Winsome!" as she took the stage.
“I'm telling you that what you are looking at is the American dream," the United States Marine Corps veteran told the crowd.
“When I joined the Marine Corps, I was still a Jamaican. But this country had done so much for me, I was willing — willing — to die for this country," Sears said.
"In case you haven't noticed, I am black. And I have been black all my life, but that's not what this is about," she continued.
She told her supporters they were now going to focus on “the business of the Commonwealth.”
"We have things to tend to,” she said. “We are going to fully fund our historically black colleges and universities. We’re going to have safer neighborhoods, safer communities, and our children are going to get a good education."
She also led the crowd in a "USA!" chant
According to the Commonwealth Times, Sears won 51.01% of the votes to claim the lieutenant governor seat.
Prior to entering politics, Sears served as the director of a Salvation Army homeless shelter. She is a businesswoman who owns an appliance and plumbing repair store in Virginia. She has served as the vice president of the Virginia Board of Education and as a Virginia’s House of Delegates from 2002 to 2004. As part of her return to politics, Sears was the national chairperson for Black Americans to Re-Elect President Trump.
On Twitter, Sears thanked Dr. Ben Carson for his endorsement.
Sears is Virginia’s first female lieutenant governor. While campaigning, she refused to state her vaccination status. She also spoke out against mask mandates during the primary.
Sears will serve with fellow Republican Glenn Youngkin, who won the gubernatorial race after surging past former governor Terry McAuliffe in the polls during final weeks. The politicians had appeared together at a rally in Roanoake on Nov. 1.
Sears raised $2.6 million for her campaign — less than half of her Democrat opponent State Delegate Hala Ayala’s $6.4 million.
Ayala, who served two terms in the state House of Delegates, conceded the race in the afternoon of Nov. 3.
“Virginia, from the bottom of my heart, thank you,” Ayala said in a statement. “The results are in, and while they may not be what we had hoped for, this is just the beginning. I want to congratulate my opponent on making history and paving the way for future women leaders who look like us. We may not be able to claim victory today, but we know that the results of this election are simply a minor setback in our larger fight for progress.”
