Spanberger leads Earle-Sears in latest poll: Oct. 28 Virginia election update

RICHMOND, Va. - Election Day in Virginia is just one week away. Here's everything you need to know about the candidates running for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, as well as latest polls and how to vote. 

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READ MORE: Spanberger, Miyares leading in latest poll | Oct. 30 Virginia election update

The latest

Abigail Spanberger

Abigail Spanberger closed day three of her Virginia Votes Bus Tour Monday, rallying with student supporters at Virginia Tech where she shared her plans to support Virginia's higher education institutions.

Tuesday morning, Spanberger opened day four. of her "Virginia Votes Bus Tour" in Winchester, Va at Railway Cafe. 

Spanberger then attended a "Dukes for Spanberger" rally at James Madison University. 

"In Virginia every opportunity, every dream she might have is hers for the making because she has grown up in a commonwealth and in a place where those who have the ability to make decisions, with their votes, with their voices everyday endeavor to make our communities stronger and better for kids like her… and for generations into the future."

On Monday, Spanberger told The Associated Press she would not oppose a push by the state’s Democratic-controlled legislature to redraw congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections. 

"What they are doing at this moment is keeping alive the option of taking action into the future," said Spanberger.

Winsome Earle-Sears

Winsome Earle-Sears held an impromptu press conference Monday where she denounced the attempts by the legislature to push through a new Virginia Constitutional amendment. 

When asked if she would support redistricting Sears responded, "Well, the people have to make that decision,"but it is not in its proper form. It is not in its proper process. It is not — in any way, shape, or form — legal. So what we’re not going to do is speculate on what is not properly before us."

On Tuesday, Earle-Sears participated in a meet and greet in Yorktown, Va.

Earle-Sears called out Spanberger at Tuesday's event: "Why would we want you as Governor? You voted against us every single time."

When is Election Day in Virginia? 

What's next:

Election Day 2025 is Tuesday, Nov. 4. 

Key Dates | Virginia Elections 2025

• Voter Registration Deadline: Thursday, Oct. 24, 2025
• Early In-Person Voting: Sept. 19 – Nov. 1, 2025
• Deadline to Request a Mailed Ballot: Oct. 24, 2025

You can check your registration status online here.

To find your local poll site, click here.

Who's ahead? Polls in the Virginia governor race

By the numbers:

 In the Virginia Governor race, polls show

• The latest poll from Christopher Newport University shows Spanberger leading Earle:-Sears by 7 points.
• 50% to 43% among Virginia likely voters; 6% remain undecided or don’t know.

 In the Lieutenant Governor race, polls show

• Democrat Ghazala Hashmi leads Republican John Reid by 2 points.
• Among Virginia likely voters 47% to 45%; 7% say they are undecided or don't know.
• 1% say they will vote for someone else.

In the race for Attorney General, 

• Republican Jason Miyares now holds a 1-point lead over Democrat Jay Jones.
• Among likely voters, 46% to 45%; 8% say they are undecided or don’t know.
• 1% say they will vote for someone else.

How to track Virginia election results

What you can do:

Bookmark FOX 5 DC's election results page to track results in real time when polls close on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Meet the candidates

Virginia Governor

Abigail Spanberger - Democrat

Former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger and current Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears are vying to become the first woman to hold the highest office in the state. 

Abigail Spanberger is a former Virginia congresswoman, who also worked as an inspector with the U.S. Postal Service and as a case officer with the CIA.

Spanberger’s intelligence background has shaped her approach to leadership and public service. She pointed to her years in the intelligence community as critical preparation for tackling complex issues.

"My time in the CIA taught me the importance of being decisive, understanding the nuances of global and domestic threats, and working collaboratively to solve problems," she said. "These are lessons I’ll bring to the governor’s office."

Winsome Earle-Sears - Republican

Winsome Earle-Sears is a native of Kingston, Jamaica, who immigrated to the United States at the age of six. 

She went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps and has also served as the vice president of the Virginia State Board of Education, worked as a presidential appointee to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Earle-Sears was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2002. She became the first female Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and the first Black woman elected to statewide office, in 2022. 

Virginia lieutenant governor

John Reid - Republican

Reid is the first openly gay man to receive a major party endorsement in Virginia. He lives in Richmond with his partner. 

According to his campaign website, John has been the host of the WRVA Morning Show for the past eight years. This is one of the nation's longest-running conservative talk radio programs.

Reid is the founder and chair of The Virginia Council, which was founded in 2021. The group's website states that the aim of the council is to "safeguard the Commonwealth’s monuments, art and historic sites—not simply as relics, but as resources for learning, dialogue and community connection." 

Reid also served as one of the final interns to President Ronald Reagan in Los Angeles when he was younger. He then went on to serve as Communications Director for U.S. Senator George Allen. He additionally served as Chief Communications Officer for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. 

Ghazala Hashmi - Democrat

Hashmi emigrated with her mother and older brother from India to the United States when she was 4 years old, according to her campaign website. 

She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and attended Georgia Southern University before earning her PhD in American literature from Emory University.

She and her husband moved to the Richmond area in 1991, where they still live. They have two daughters, who both graduated from Chesterfield County Public Schools and the University of Virginia.

Prior to being a member of the Virginia State Senate, Hashmi spent nearly three decades as a professor at both the University of Richmond and Reynolds Community College. 

Virginia attorney general 

Jay Jones - Democrat

Jay Jones is the Democratic candidate for Virginia’s Attorney General. He’s running against Republican incumbent Jason Miyares, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. 

36-year-old Jones served two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2022.

Since leaving the Virginia House of Delegates, Jones told FOX 5 DC that he’s been working "in the private sector, litigating in court against Governor Youngkin and Jason Miyares on behalf of folks like the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP to protect voting rights."

Jones' campaign has been rocked by surfaced 2022 texts in which he mused about shooting a Republican lawmaker.  

In the messages, Jones commented about former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, saying, "three people two bullets…Gilbert, Hitler, and Polpot…Gilbert gets two bullets to the head."

In a statement, Jones said in part: "I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family. Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry."

Jason Miyares - Republican

Miyares, 49, was born in Greensboro, North Carolina and grew up in Virginia Beach. He’s served as the attorney general for Virginia since 2022. 

Before that, Miyares served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2016 to 2022. 

Miyares is Cuban-American; his mother fled from Havana, Cuba in 1965. He is the first Hispanic American elected to statewide office in Virginia and the first child of an immigrant to become Attorney General.