Two days after President Donald Trump cleared up lingering confusion about his support for Republican Virginia gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, the National Rifle Association on Tuesday enthusiastically endorsed her and the full GOP ticket.
In a statement that showed “A” grades for Earle-Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and John Reid, who is running to replace Earle-Sears as lieutenant governor, NRA’s Political Victory Fund Chairman John Commerford cited efforts by liberals outside the commonwealth to rob Virginians of their gun rights.
“The Second Amendment rights of Virginians have been under constant attack by radical progressives who seek to rubber stamp Michael Bloomberg’s extreme gun control agenda,” said Commerford, also the NRA’s chief lobbyist.
“By electing pro-gun candidates like Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Attorney General Jason Miyares, and John Reid, Virginia gun-owners can rest assured that they will be protected from the never-ending push to disarm law-abiding citizens,” he added.
Earle-Sears has proudly touted her support of gun owners and often appeared in campaign promotions holding an AR-15-style gun. She is a former U.S. Marine.
JUST IN: Winsome Sears has filed paperwork to run for Governor of Virginia in 2025! She’s going to absolutely destroy the left! pic.twitter.com/egsQ7Rz5cU
— Jessica
(@RealJessica05) September 5, 2024
The endorsement should help rally Republicans outside of urban areas to her campaign. Democratic opponent and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger has promised to ban the sale of AR-15 firearms, the most popular rifle in the country, and sign other gun control measures if elected.
In the race to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Spanberger leads Earle-Sears. The race will result in the first-ever woman governor for Virginia.
There have been questions about Trump endorsing Earle-Sears because, in the past, she was critical of him. But on Sunday, when asked by the Washington Examiner if he would back her, he said, “Yeah, I would.”
Trump signals he would endorse Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia governor’s race https://t.co/l55Rv81ypb
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) August 4, 2025
The NRA’s Commerford urged members to work to elect the Republican ticket. “In today’s current political era, simply voting is no longer enough. NRA members and Second Amendment advocates must take an active role in the political process. Get involved, knock doors, register voters, and do whatever it takes to push pro-gun candidates to victory,” said Commerford.
Below is how the Second Amendment advocacy group graded the three candidates in its endorsement:
Governor: Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (“A” Endorsed)
Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a Marine veteran and former Virginia delegate, has dedicated her life to upholding the Constitutional rights of Virginians. Throughout her career, Sears has been an outspoken leader in the fight against progressive politicians’ incessant calls to disarm law-abiding citizens, ban commonly owned firearms, and undermine the Constitutional rights of their constituents.
As lieutenant governor, Sears worked alongside Governor Glenn Youngkin, who vetoed dozens of extreme gun control measures and fought for the rights of all Virginia residents. As the next governor of the Commonwealth, NRA members can rest assured that Sears’ veto pen stands at the ready to protect the rights of gun owners.
Attorney General: Jason Miyares (“A” Endorsed)
Throughout his career, Attorney General Jason Miyares has continually fought for and delivered key victories for NRA members. As a former prosecutor and current attorney general, Miyares understands that promoting policies that target criminals, not law-abiding gun owners, is the key to lowering crime rates in the Commonwealth.
SEE THE LATEST POLITICAL NEWS AND BUZZ FROM WASHINGTON SECRETS
Before becoming the attorney general, Miyares served as a Delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates, where he voted to block extreme gun control measures. These proposals included, but were not limited to, firearm confiscation orders, arbitrary waiting periods, expanding gun-free zones, and bans on commonly owned firearms and magazines.
Lieutenant Governor: John Reid (“A” Endorsed)
John Reid is a prolific pro-gun voice in Virginia media. Throughout his career, Reid has been a vocal gun rights advocate and opposes progressive policies that would disarm law-abiding citizens. As lieutenant governor, John Reid will continue his fight to protect and preserve Second Amendment rights in the commonwealth of Virginia.