Republican Winsome Sears wins Virginia lieutenant governor’s race

Former Virginia Del. Winsome Sears (R ) is projected to win the state’s lieutenant gubernatorial race, making history as the first woman and Black woman to hold the position. NBC and CNN both called the race for Sears early Wednesday morning.

In addition to being second-in-command in Richmond, Sears will also play the crucial role as the president of the state Senate, where she could cast a number of tie breaking votes over the next two years. Current Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) has cast 52 tie-breaking votes in his role as president of the legislative body. Democrats control the state Senate, which doesn’t see elections until 2023, 21 to 19….. (Excerpts from the Hill)