Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle‑Sears, the Republican nominee for Virginia governor, will make two stops in the Greater Manassas area today as part of her statewide campaign tour, “Operation Defend & Deliver.”
Sears is expected to appear at the 34th Annual African American Culture Arts Festival at Metz Middle School in Manassas between 12 and 1 p.m. The free, family-friendly event, hosted by the African American Foundation of Prince William County, runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and features more than 125 exhibitors — including arts and crafts vendors, cultural retailers, youth groups, college and school exhibits, a Health Fair, Business and Job Expos, a Classic Car Show, and food vendors.
The festival has been a tradition in Prince William County for more than three decades, taking place each year on the first Saturday in August.
Following her visit to Metz, Sears will head to the Manassas Park Police Department for a Meet & Greet at 2:15 p.m. The event is open to the public, but an RSVP is requested.
Sears, the first Black woman elected to statewide office in Virginia, is seeking to become the commonwealth’s first Black governor. She faces Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term congresswoman, in the November election. Spanberger currently leads in polling and campaign fundraising.
The race is one of the most closely watched in the nation, seen as a test of voter sentiment ahead of the 2026 midterms and a potential bellwether for suburban voter trends.
