Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) is leaning into cultural issues in her bid for governor, though some see it as a risky strategy in an off-year election likely to be dominated by economic concerns.

Earle-Sears in particular has attacked her Democratic rival, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, over transgender issues, especially in regard to schools. This week, the lieutenant governor’s campaign rolled out an ad labeling Spanberger as being for “they/them” and supporting policies that allow “men in girls locker rooms” and parents to be unaware when their children seek gender-affirming care. In another ad, Earle-Sears accuses Spanberger of wanting “boys to play sports and share locker rooms with little girls.”

The strategy of invoking trans issues played well for Republicans in 2024, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) arguably won in 2021 on the parents’ rights issue. But critics question whether Earle-Sears’s message is meeting the moment when the cost of living and jobs are dominating voters’ concerns.

“One of the common complaints or observations as to why she hasn’t been catching fire is because there’s really been no overarching message or theme or even positive vision for the future,” said one GOP strategist. “It’s been pretty reactive, and the problem with that is when you don’t have your own message or your own brand, you are at the whim of the national winds.”

Recently, Youngkin waded into the issue as well, seizing on reports from ABC’s Washington, D.C., affiliate WJLA that a registered sex offender, which the outlet identified as transgender, had been accused of exposing themselves to multiple women and children at Arlington Public Schools locker rooms.

“No girl should have to be exposed to this kind of depravity. This is who the far left thinks should be in your daughter’s locker room. Virginia parents - your children’s safety is literally on the ballot this November. Vote like it,” Youngkin

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