By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – After a long and unpredictable campaign season, Virginians are finally heading to the polls Tuesday to choose who will lead the commonwealth for the next four years.
Three statewide offices are on the ballot: governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, along with House of Delegates seats and several local offices.
An Echelon Insights poll taken between Oct. 28 and 31 found Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears 55% to 43% in the governor’s race. In the lieutenant governor’s race, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi led Republican John Reid 49% to 46%, while Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares held a slim 49% to 46% edge over Democratic nominee Jay Jones.
A separate AtlasIntel poll released Oct. 30 showed similar results, with Spanberger at 53.9%, Hashmi at 51.7% and Miyares narrowly ahead at 48.1%.
Both parties brought out major national figures in the final stretch before Election Day. President Donald Trump is set to host a tele-rally Monday night to boost Republican turnout, while former President Barack Obama joined Spanberger and Jones at a campaign stop in Norfolk to energize Democratic voters over the weekend.
The governor’s race has centered on education, the economy and public safety.
Spanberger supports expanding early childhood education, strengthening public schools, and improving safety by giving law enforcement the tools and training they need. Earle-Sears has focused on lowering costs for families, eliminating Virginia’s car tax, maintaining parental rights in education, and defending right-to-work policies.
In the lieutenant governor’s race, Hashmi has emphasized reproductive rights, transparency and public education. Reid has campaigned on lowering costs for families, protecting right-to-work laws and expanding technical job training.
The attorney general race has centered on accountability and public safety. Miyares has built his campaign around being tough on crime, pointing to his record of prosecuting violent offenders and defending law enforcement in court.
Jones says Virginians need a stronger focus on crime prevention, lowering costs for families and restoring trust in the attorney general’s office.
According to AtlasIntel, the top concerns for Virginia voters are inflation and cost of living at 56%, jobs and the economy at 34%, candidate experience at 28% and education at 21%.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday. Early voting ended Nov. 1, which began Sept. 19.
Voters in Fairfax and Loudoun counties will also decide whether to approve nearly $600 million in local bond questions to fund schools, parks and transportation projects.
Fairfax County’s $460 million bond would support school construction and renovations under the district’s 2026 to 2030 capital plan, while Loudoun County’s three bond questions total about $137 million for schools, public safety and infrastructure. No tax impact has been confirmed for either county.