Jamaicans vie for governorship in New Jersey, Virginia, and other key races

In the upcoming 2025 off-year elections, several candidates of Jamaican descent are vying for high-profile political offices across the United States, with the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia among the most closely watched races.

Jamaican-American candidates for governor

Montclair, New Jersey, Mayor Sean Spiller, whose mother is Jamaican, has officially launched his bid for governor. Since taking office in 2020, Spiller has prioritized economic development, town efficiency, and education reform. Now, he hopes to bring that leadership to the state level, joining a crowded Democratic primary field.

In Virginia, Winsome Earle-Sears, the state’s current lieutenant governor and a Jamaican-born Republican, has declared her candidacy for governor. Endorsed by incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin, she is the frontrunner for her party’s nomination. If elected, Earle-Sears would make history as Virginia’s first female governor and the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. governor. She first made headlines in 2021 as the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia.