Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Thursday said he would not say whether he intends to seek a higher office, or reelection, until after the November elections in a Thursday post to social media.
Miyares confirmed he will hold his silence just hours after Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears on Thursday declared her gubernatorial candidacy in a bid to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is precluded from seeking a second term by the Virginia Constitution.
“Our nation cannot afford four more years of the failed policies of Biden and Harris. My focus right now is on November 2024 and electing as many Republicans in Virginia as we can,” stated Miyares in a post to the social media platform X.
He confirmed, “We all need to be focused on this November’s elections before even thinking about next year.”
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) September 5, 2024
Earlier on Thursday, it was reported Earle-Sears filed paperwork for a gubernatorial campaign, and in the afternoon she publicly confirmed her candidacy.
“I don’t make excuses. I’m tough, principled, and I never stop working to get things done for you,” said Earle-Sears in an X post. “I’m running for governor to make life better for EVERY Virginian.”
I'm not your typical politician, and I never will be. I don't make excuses. I'm tough, principled, and I never stop working to get things done for you.
I'm running for governor to make life better for EVERY Virginian. pic.twitter.com/abu1ZHAugD
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) September 5, 2024
Miyares previously hinted that he may seek to become Virginia’s governor in July, when he was interviewed in July prior to his speech at a Trump rally in Chesapeake, and was asked about the possible candidacy of Earle-Sears.
“I will be happy to comment about and discuss my political future the appropriate time. We have a really important election right now,” he said at the time.
Asked about whether he expected Sears to declare her candidacy, Miyares replied, “I can’t speak for Winsome, she can speak for herself. I mean, I think all of us are focused on 2024. At least I am, and I think she could probably talk about her future.”
Similarly, when asked whether Earle-Sears’ decision could impact his own, Miyares said, “I’m not going to speculate about what-ifs at this stage. I’m focused on 2024.”
Earle-Sears has previously sparred with former President Donald Trump, and her office claimed she was prevented from attending the July rally by a schedule conflict. The Trump campaign later reportedly claimed she was not invited.
She reportedly declined to endorse Trump after he became the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, declaring, “Everybody has to make their own decision.”
Earlier, in 2022, Earle-Sears called Trump a political “liability” for the Republican Party and urged the former president not to run in 2024, claiming the United States sent him a clear message to “step off the stage” after the 2020 elections.
A spokesman for Trump called the statement “a slap to the face to all of the grassroots Republicans” who supported Earle-Sears, and predicted a future “reckoning” from activists who would not forget her remarks.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jason Miyares” by Jason Miyares. Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Martin Kraft. CC BY-SA 3.0.
