Virginia’s Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears is actively seeking support from Donald Trump for her crucial gubernatorial bid, yet the former president has not yet pledged his endorsement.

Earlier this month, Trump remarked to reporters that her opponent isn’t particularly strong, acknowledging the challenging nature of her campaign and mentioning he ‘would’ consider endorsing her.

In this politically divided state, Republican strategists worry about Sears’ ability to appeal to the electorate, especially after Glenn Youngkin’s unexpected victory for governor in 2021.

Sears told the Daily Mail exclusively at a campaign event this week that she wants ‘every endorsement that comes.’

‘We all want to win. And his, of course, will help,’  Sears added when asked if Trump should back her in the race.

That’s a stark contrast from 2022, when Sears said that voters ‘want a different leader’ from Trump.

It’s the first time Sears has directly stated that she desires Trump’s immediate backing. 

She previously brushed off questions about her past critical remarks on Trump, saying she doesn’t dwell on the past.

As Lieutenant Governor, Sears, alongside Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares, led the first Republican sweep of Virginia’s statewide offices in over ten years.

Three years later, despite multiple appearances by Trump and JD Vance in Virginia during the 2024 election efforts aiming for a resurgence of Republican momentum, such a ‘red wave’ did not materialize.

A Republican has not won Virginia’s coveted presidential electoral votes in over 20 years.

And now Sears is undoubtedly running an uphill battle, despite her framing of the governor race as within the ‘margin of error.’

Per the Virginia Public Access project, Sears has raised over $11 million, compared to Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s $27 million. 

Sears told the Daily Mail that she broke records with her impressive fundraising haul at the start of the year. 

‘You can check… in the first quarter of my campaign, I raised more money than any Republican ever has historically,’ she stated. 

Her claim about being a top GOP fundraiser in the first quarter after announcing her candidacy is mostly true. 

Incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin had over $7 million at the end of his first quarter financial report in 2021, but $5 million of that was self-funded. 

That’s compared to Sears’s $3 million raised at the start of her current campaign. 

The lagging degree to which outside groups are willing to invest in Virginia is also telling. 

According to a recent Commonwealth poll, Spanberger is leading Sears 49 percent to 37 percent.

And GOP operatives aren’t enthused about putting their coffers behind her campaign. 

The Republican Governors Association (RGA) has only spent $500,000 on behalf of Sears, compared to the $2 million that the Republican Attorneys General Association has pledged to Miyares. 

RGA Rapid Response Director Kollin Crompton told the Daily Mail that the group is firmly behind Sears.

‘Winsome Earle-Sears is the only candidate in this race who will keep Virginia on the right track forged by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Under their leadership, parents’ rights have been protected, Virginia’s economy is growing, and communities are safe.’

Krompton also added that ‘under Abigail Spanberger, the clock will be turned back on all these accomplishments – just like they were while she was in Congress.’

But numerous longtime Republican players in Virginia privately told the Daily Mail that they have serious doubts about Sears’s ability to emerge victorious in November. 

One operative told the Daily Mail under the condition of anonymity that ‘this is 100% Glenn Youngkin’s fault for clearing the field by endorsing her right after the 2024 election.’

The operative also noted that there were real conversations about potential primary challengers to Sears, which the governor worked to keep at bay. 

Two representatives for Trump’s political operation did not respond to the Daily Mail’s requests for comment in time for publication. 

At her Monday campaign event in Fauquier County, Virginia, an hour and a half outside of Washington, D.C., Sears held a roundtable of female leaders, which included participants from business, non-profit, and political sectors.

The wide-ranging forum touched on issues including preserving women’s spaces in locker rooms and on sports teams and ensuring that women who are victims of crimes have the proper legal recourse to deal with their assailants.

There was also a discussion about anti-semitism on college campuses, which Sears believes Spanbeger has not adequately condemned.