This article originally appeared here, at townhall.com
As we head into the home stretch of another pivotal election season in Virginia, the choice before voters could not be clearer. On one side is a Republican ticket defined by common sense, family values, and a proven record of leadership. On the other is a Democrat slate that has embraced the same far-left extremism that’s turned once-thriving states like California and New York into cautionary tales.
This year, Republicans are offering a clear and credible vision for the future. Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, John Reid, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, and Attorney General Jason Miyares are united by a commitment to keeping Virginia safe, prosperous, and free. Sears and Miyares have already shown what good governance looks like – fighting crime, defending parental rights, and putting families first. Reid has made clear that he’ll help continue building on those successes.
This is the Republican path to victory: focusing not on party labels or partisan brawls, but on restoring sanity and stability in a time of chaos.
Contrast that with the Democrat ticket of Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and Jay Jones – a trio of politicians whose records read like a checklist of progressive extremism.
Spanberger voted for more than $7 trillion in reckless spending that fueled inflation and crushed Virginia families. She voted against efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens and publicly opposed ICE officers making arrests at a Virginia courthouse. She’s pledged to protect “everyone” who crosses our border—including gang members and violent criminals. That’s not compassion. That’s a recipe for disaster.
Just this week, Spanberger has further put herself at odds with everyday Virginians through her response to shocking new revelations that staffers at a Fairfax County high school arranged abortions for students without informing parents. Spanberger refused to say that parents have a right to know if their children are undergoing potentially dangerous, life-changing medical procedures when asked.
Meanwhile, Jay Jones, the Democrats’ pick for attorney general, has backed policies that would make Virginians less safe. He supported repealing limits on parole for rapists and murderers, carried legislation to expand predatory lending, and even voted to eliminate mandatory jail time for drug dealers who sell near schools. He also supported no-bail releases for individuals charged with violent crimes.
Ghazala Hashmi is the most radical of all – a terrifying prospect given that she wants to be a heartbeat away from the governor’s mansion. She has spent her time in the state Senate pushing fringe legislation more at home in San Francisco than in our Commonwealth.
Taken together, this is a Democrat ticket that would bring the failed ideas of New York and California to Richmond—and with it, the same crime, cost-of-living spikes, and social unrest.
Just look at what’s happening elsewhere. In Maryland, it took barely a year under a Democrat governor to pass the largest tax hike in state history. In New York City, socialists like Zohran Mamdani are dictating the agenda, openly calling for policies that punish law-abiding citizens while empowering criminals and illegal immigrants. Mamdani is just more honest about what Democrats like Spanberger, Hashmi, and Jones believe.
This is what’s coming to Virginia if we hand the keys to the left.
Most Virginians aren’t interested in ideological crusades. We want good schools that teach reading and math – not radical gender theory. We want law enforcement to protect our families, not be sidelined in the name of “social justice.” We want economic policies that reward hard work, not more government handouts and higher taxes.
These aren’t Republican values or Democrat values. They’re Virginia values.
If Republicans want to win and govern for the long haul, we must embrace our identity as the party of common sense – of families, freedom, and opportunity. We don’t need to match Democrat extremism with our own brand of outrage. We simply need to stand firm, speak clearly, and trust that voters can tell the difference between stability and chaos.
This year’s election is not about right vs. left. It’s about sanity vs. insanity. It’s about choosing a path that keeps Virginia from becoming the next blue-state cautionary tale.
In these critical final months, if Republicans stay focused on the issues that matter most to working families like safe neighborhoods, strong schools, affordable living, they will win. And more importantly, they will earn the trust of the Virginians who are counting on them to protect the future of our Commonwealth.