# 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next lieutenant governor of Virginia. Incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax was eligible to run for a second term, but instead unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. On November 3, Hala Ayala conceded the race, making Republican Winsome Sears the first black woman to be elected to the lieutenant governorship of Virginia or any statewide office, as well as the first woman elected lieutenant governor in Virginia's history. Sears was also the first Jamaican-American to become a lieutenant governor.

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Nominee

* Hala Ayala, member of the Virginia House of Delegates

#### Eliminated in primary

* Mark Levine, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and former candidate for Virginia's 8th congressional district in 2014
* Andria McClellan, Norfolk city councilwoman
* Sean Perryman, president of the Fairfax County, Virginia NAACP
* Sam Rasoul, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and nominee for Virginia's 6th congressional district in 2008
* Xavier Warren, sports agent

#### Withdrawn

* Paul Goldman, former chair of the Virginia Democratic Party
* Elizabeth Guzmán, member of the Virginia House of Delegates (ran for re-election)
* Kellen Squire, nurse

#### Declined

* Justin Fairfax, incumbent lieutenant governor (ran for governor)

### Endorsements
#### Governor

* Ralph Northam, incumbent Governor of Virginia
State delegates
* Joshua G. Cole (D-28), withdrawn, subsequently endorsed Rasoul
* Eileen Filler-Corn (D-41), Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates
* Charniele Herring (D-46), Majority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia
* Clint Jenkins (D-76)
* Danica Roem (D-13)
Organizations
* EMILY's List
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with McClellan, Perryman, Rasoul, and Warren)
Organizations
* LGBTQ Victory Fund
Newspapers
* Falls Church News-Press
Federal officials
* Elaine Luria, U.S. Representative (VA-02)
State senators
* Lynwood Lewis (D-6)
* Dave W. Marsden (D-37)
Individuals
* Karen Jackson, former Virginia Secretary of Technology
* Glenn Nye, former U.S. Representative (VA-02)
Organizations
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Ayala, Perryman, Rasoul, and Warren)

#### State delegates

* Kaye Kory (D-38)
Local officials
* Walter Alcorn, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Steve Descano, Fairfax County, Virginia Commonwealth’s Attorney
* John Foust, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Rodney Lusk, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Jeff McKay, Chair, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Dalia Palchik, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* Phyllis Randall, Chair, Loudoun County Board of Supervisors
* Kathy Smith, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
* James Walkinshaw, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Individuals
* Sharon Bulova, former chair, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors
Organizations
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Ayala, McClellan, Rasoul, and Warren)
* Our Black Party
Federal officials
* Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts
State delegates
* Lashrecse Aird (D-63)
* Joshua G. Cole (D-28)
* Dan Helmer (D-40)
* Sally L. Hudson (D-57)
* Marcia Price (D-95)
* Ibraheem Samirah (D-86)
* Suhas Subramanyam (D-87)
* Kathy Tran (D-42)
State senators
* John Bell (D-13)
* Ghazala Hashmi (D-10)
Individuals
* Rick Boucher, former U.S. Representative (VA-9)
* Mary Sue Terry, former Attorney General of Virginia
Organizations
* CASA in Action
* Democracy For America
* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Ayala, McClellan, Perryman, and Warren)
* Our Revolution
* Sunrise Movement
Newspapers
* The Washington Post

#### Organizations

* Moms Demand Action (co-endorsed with Ayala, McClellan, Perryman, and Rasoul)

#### State delegates

* Paul Krizek (D-44)
* Alfonso Lopez (D-49), subsequently endorsed Hala Ayala
* Ibraheem Samirah (D-86), subsequently endorsed Sam Rasoul
Organizations
* CASA in Action, subsequently endorsed Sam Rasoul

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Hala Ayala | Elizabeth Guzman | Mark Levine | Andria McClellan | Sean Perryman | Sam Rasoul | Xavier Warren | Other | Undecided |
| Roanoke College | May 24 – June 1, 2021 | 637 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 16% | 3% | 7% | 7% | 3% | 11% | 2% | – | 45% |
| Christopher Newport University | April 11–20, 2021 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 2% | 4% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 12% | 2% | 1% | 64% |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Hala Ayala | 181,168 | 37.64% |
| | Democratic | Sam Rasoul | 116,816 | 24.27% |
| | Democratic | Mark Levine | 53,735 | 11.16% |
| | Democratic | Andria McClellan | 51,015 | 10.60% |
| | Democratic | Sean Perryman | 38,925 | 8.09% |
| | Democratic | Xavier Warren | 19,909 | 4.13% |
| | Democratic | Elizabeth Guzmán (withdrawn) | 19,803 | 4.11% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 481,365 | 100.00% |

## Republican convention

After months of uncertainty, the Republican Party of Virginia State Central Committee decided to hold an "unassembled convention" to select their nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, as opposed to holding a state run primary. The convention was held May 8 using ranked choice voting.

### Candidates
#### Nominated at convention

* Winsome Sears, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates (2002–2004), nominee for Virginia's 3rd congressional district in 2004 and write-in candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2018

#### Defeated at convention

* Puneet Ahluwalia, business consultant
* Lance Allen, security company executive
* Glenn Davis, member of the Virginia House of Delegates and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2017
* Tim Hugo, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates (2003–2020)
* Maeve Rigler, business executive

### Endorsements

State delegates
* Rob Bell (R-58)

### Results

Virginia GOP Convention, Lieutenant Governor nominee :
| Candidate | Round 1 | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 5 |
| Candidate | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Winsome Sears | 4,075.68 | 32.5% | 4,300.11 | 34.3% | 4,626.70 | 36.9% | 5,425.91 | 43.2% | 6,827.89 | 54.4% |
| Tim Hugo | 2,824.17 | 22.5% | 2,987.20 | 23.8% | 3,184.76 | 25.4% | 3,816.11 | 30.4% | 5,726.11 | 45.6% |
| Glenn Davis | 2,536.77 | 20.2% | 2,675.44 | 21.3% | 2,838.05 | 22.6% | 3,311.97 | 26.4% | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Lance Allen | 1,538.80 | 12.3% | 1701.82 | 13.6% | 1,904.50 | 15.2% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Puneet Ahluwalia | 818.95 | 6.5% | 889.43 | 7.1% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |
| Maeve Rigler | 759.62 | 6.1% | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated | Eliminated |

## General election
### Endorsements

Federal officials
* Joe Biden, President of the United States (2021–present)
* Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (2021–present)
* Barack Obama, former President of the United States (2009–2017)
State officials
* Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia (2018–2022)
U.S. Senators
* Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator from Minnesota (2007–present)
* Mark Warner, U.S. Senator from Virginia (2009–present)
U.S. Representatives
* Don Beyer, U.S. Representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district (2015–present) and 36th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia (1990–1998)
* Elaine Luria, U.S. Representative for Virginia's 2nd congressional district (2019–2023)
* Lauren Underwood, U.S. Representative for Illinois's 14th congressional district (2019–present)
State legislators
* Joshua G. Cole, state delegate from the 28th district (2020–2022)
* Eileen Filler-Corn, state delegate from the 41st district (2010–present) and Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–present)
* Charniele Herring, state delegate from the 46th district (2009–present), Majority Leader of the Virginia House of Delegates (2020–2022), and former Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia (2012–2014)
* Clint Jenkins, state delegate from the 76th district (2020–present)
* Danica Roem, state delegate from the 13th district (2018–present)
Individuals
* Blake Cooper Griffin, actor
* Jaime Harrison, Chair of the Democratic National Committee (2021–present)
Organizations
* Democracy for America
* EMILY's List
* Human Rights Campaign
* Moms Demand Action
* Working Families Party
Federal officials
* Ben Carson, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (2017–2021)
* Ken Cuccinelli, Principal Deputy Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (2019–2021), Attorney General of Virginia (2010–2014), and nominee for Governor of Virginia in 2013
State officials
* Mark Earley, former Attorney General of Virginia (1998–2001) and former state senator from the 14th district (1988–1997)
U.S. Senators
* Tim Scott, U.S. Senator from South Carolina (2013–present)
U.S. Representatives
* Ben Cline, U.S. Representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district (2019–present)
* Dan Crenshaw, U.S. Representative for Texas's 2nd congressional district (2019–present)
* Bob Good, U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district (2021–2025)
State legislators
* Amanda Chase, state senator from the 11th district (2016–present)
* Dave LaRock, state delegate from the 33rd district (2014–present)
* Tommy Norment, state senator from the 3rd district (1992–present) and Minority Leader of the Virginia Senate (2020–present)
Individuals
* E. W. Jackson, bishop, attorney, and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2013
Organizations
* American Veterans Vote
* Maggie's List
* NRA Political Victory Fund
* Republican State Leadership Committee
* Republican Party of Virginia

### Polling

Graphical summary
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Hala Ayala (D) | Winsome Sears (R) | Other | Undecided |
| The Trafalgar Group (R) | October 29–31, 2021 | 1,081 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 47% | 50% | 1% | 2% |
| Echelon Insights (R) | October 27–29, 2021 | 611 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 46% | 48% | – | 6% |
| Roanoke College | October 14–28, 2021 | 571 (LV) | ± 4.7% | 46% | 44% | 0% | 10% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | October 20–26, 2021 | 1,107 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 48% | 44% | 3% | 3% |
| Washington Post/Schar School | October 20–26, 2021 | 918 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 50% | 46% | 1% | 3% |
| Christopher Newport University | October 17–25, 2021 | 944 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 49% | 48% | – | 3% |
| Suffolk University | October 21–24, 2021 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 46% | 44% | – | 10% |
| co/efficient (R) | October 20–21, 2021 | 785 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 46% | 47% | – | 7% |
| Cygnal (R) | October 19–21, 2021 | 816 (LV) | ± 3.4% | 47% | 47% | – | 6% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | October 9–21, 2021 | 722 (LV) | ± 6.4% | 36% | 35% | 16% | 13% |
| Data for Progress (D) | October 4–15, 2021 | 1,589 (LV) | ± 2.0% | 47% | 42% | 3% | 8% |
| Christopher Newport University | September 27 – October 6, 2021 | 802 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 48% | 44% | – | 8% |
| Roanoke College | September 12–26, 2021 | 603 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 45% | 40% | 1% | 14% |
| KAConsulting LLC (R) | September 17–19, 2021 | 700 (LV) | ± 3.7% | 34% | 24% | 3% | 40% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | September 7–15, 2021 | 731 (LV) | ± 6.9% | 33% | 30% | 20% | 16% |
| University of Mary Washington | September 7–13, 2021 | 1,000 (A) | ± 3.1% | 38% | 38% | 6% | 18% |
| University of Mary Washington | September 7–13, 2021 | 528 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 41% | 47% | 2% | 10% |
| Monmouth University | August 24–29, 2021 | 802 (RV) | ± 3.5% | 43% | 42% | 2% | 14% |
| Christopher Newport University | August 15–23, 2021 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.6% | 52% | 42% | 1% | 6% |
| Roanoke College | August 3–17, 2021 | 558 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 42% | 36% | 2% | 20% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | August 4–15, 2021 | 770 (RV) | ± 5.4% | 38% | 31% | 19% | 12% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | August 4–15, 2021 | ~747 (LV) | ± 5.5% | 39% | 31% | 17% | 12% |
| JMC Analytics and Polling (R) | June 9–12, 2021 | 550 (LV) | ± 4.2% | 42% | 36% | – | 22% |

### Results

Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | Winsome Sears | 1,658,332 | 50.71% | +3.53% |
| | Democratic | Hala Ayala | 1,608,030 | 49.17% | −3.54% |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 3,807 | 0.12% | +0.03% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 3,270,169 | 100.00% | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,951,368 | | |
| | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic | Republican gain from Democratic |

#### By congressional district

Sears won 6 of 11 congressional districts, including two that were represented by Democrats.
| District | Ayala | Sears | Representative |
| 1st | 41% | 59% | Rob Wittman |
| 2nd | 46% | 54% | Elaine Luria |
| 3rd | 62% | 38% | Bobby Scott |
| 4th | 57% | 43% | Donald McEachin |
| 5th | 40% | 60% | Bob Good |
| 6th | 34% | 66% | Ben Cline |
| 7th | 45% | 55% | Abigail Spanberger |
| 8th | 73% | 27% | Don Beyer |
| 9th | 26% | 74% | Morgan Griffith |
| 10th | 52% | 47% | Jennifer Wexton |
| 11th | 67% | 33% | Gerry Connolly |