Republican ticket leaders pitch unity, ‘common sense’ at Northern Virginia rally
Republicans take their message to the heart of Democratic Virginia this past week.
By James Jarvis
This article was republished with permission from FXBG Advance’s news partner InsideNoVa.com. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today.
In a show of defiance on Democratic turf, Virginia’s Republican ticket appeared together Tuesday night in deep blue Fairfax County to present a united front and rally support ahead of November’s statewide elections.
Gubernatorial candidate and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares — who is seeking reelection — and lieutenant governor nominee John Reid outlined a platform focused on school choice, public safety and tax relief, while casting their Democratic opponents as “radical” and out of touch on education, energy policy and social issues, including transgender rights and girls sports.
“Losing is not an option, because everything that we’ve accomplished, everything that we see Virginia leading and winning on all fronts today, is at risk,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin told the crowd before introducing the slate of candidates. “We have to win, and the bottom line is we know how to win.”
The rally, held at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department, came amid political headwinds for Virginia Republicans. Polls from May show Earle-Sears trailing her Democratic rival, former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, in voter support. Reid’s campaign has also been overshadowed by controversy after reports surfaced alleging he was tied to a deleted Tumblr account that reposted explicit images of men—a claim he has firmly denied. And nationally, Republicans are facing backlash over President Donald Trump’s newly passed budget bill, which includes steep Medicaid cuts that could strip health coverage from more than 300,000 Virginians.
But Tuesday’s rally steered clear of recent controversies, instead focusing on drawing a sharp contrast with Democrats. Speaker after speaker cast Democrats as extreme and accused them of trying to turn Virginia into “the next California” through government overreach, higher taxes and progressive social policies.
“We have so much at stake this year, and this year, the message – out to your friends, neighbors and families – the message is just a question,” Miyares told the crowd of over 500 people. “It’s just a question. Do you want to return to the Democratic trifecta of 2020? With closed schools, mandates all around you, your taxes being raised, parents being ignored … Or do you want to continue the renaissance in Virginia that has been going on under the leadership of Glenn Youngkin the last two years?”
Parental rights, crime and the economy
Throughout the evening, Earle-Sears and her running mates promoted a familiar conservative agenda focused on school choice, public safety and tax relief.
Earle-Sears cast herself as a continuation of Youngkin’s administration, promising less government, lower taxes and more individual liberty. She touted the state’s economic gains under GOP leadership, pointing to job growth, mental health investments, small business support and childcare funding. “We’ve created over 15,000 startups... These businesses never existed — and that’s what we do,” she said.
On education, Earle-Sears tied policy to personal experience, describing how her father came to America with just a few dollars to his name and lifted himself out of poverty through hard work and education. “My vision for Virginia is whatever you, the parent, want – public, private, parochial, home school, whatever it is, a hybrid – you make the choice. Taking aim at Spanberger, she added: “She is for nonsense, and I am for common sense.”
The theme of parental rights carried throughout the evening, with Reid vowing to “protect girls’ sports and women's private spaces.”
“Biological truth still has to matter when we’re making public policy,” Reid said. “I’m the guy who’s gonna stand up for that.”
Miyares focused on crime and law enforcement, portraying Democrats as soft on both. He highlighted Operation Ceasefire, a state initiative that targets repeat violent offenders for prosecution, which he said helped reduce homicides in Virginia’s most dangerous cities.
He also raised concerns about drug addiction, illegal immigration and what he described as a failure to support victims of violent crime. Miyares accused Democrats of prioritizing “criminals over communities,” while casting Republicans as focused on restoring accountability and safety.
“In some of these localities, you have some of these social justice prosecutors that don’t want to do their jobs,” Miyares said. “We said: We’re going to bring these cases in federal court if we need to. And in these targeted ceasefire cities, the murder rate dropped 66%.”
Blue territory
The location of the rally was as strategic as it was symbolic. In a region that has trended Democratic in recent federal elections, Republicans are hoping to erode suburban support as they did during the 2021 gubernatorial race, particularly among voters concerned about education, the economy, and public safety.
Republican leaders say they believe frustration over rising costs, cultural clashes in schools and perceptions of government overreach will cut through the controversies that have clouded their campaigns in recent months.
Still, the party faces an uphill battle. Spanberger has maintained a substantial fundraising lead, outraising Earle-Sears more than two-to-one. Her campaign is casting the election as a referendum on Trump-era Republican policies, including the recently passed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which slashes Medicaid and other safety net programs and could have far-reaching effects on Northern Virginia’s economy.
“We need a governor who understands we’re not going back,” Earle-Sears said. “We haven’t come this far to only go this far.”
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