Winsome Sears: 5 facts about Virginia's first black female lieutenant governor

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Wednesday, November 03, 2021

United States Marine Corps Service

Republican politician Winsome Sears in a photo of her at a gun range in Virginia that went viral on social media. On Nov. 2, 2021, Virginia voters elected her to be the first female African American lieutenant general in the state's history. | Twitter/Winsome Sears

Sears served in the U.S. Marine Corps and said in an interview with WTOP that some of her work experiences in the Marines included 20-hour workdays to prepare for inspections.

“I’m a small woman, and I’m having to tell these great big hulking guys what to do. I have the rank; rank carries authority. But at the same time, with authority comes accountability. And you have to take care of your people,” she recalled.

In an interview with Mark Hand of Patch.com, Sears said she believed that her military background was one of the reasons why she was “uniquely prepared” to “serve the full fabric of our state.”

“Virginia has the highest concentration of military in our nation,” said Sears. “I know how to care for our veterans and military service members.”