Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign for governor hit an unexpected snag on Thursday when her bus caught fire en route to an event. "Everyone is safe," Earle-Sears assured in a statement on X, thanking first responders for their swift reaction, per the Hill. The incident occurred just days before voters cast their final ballots in a race that has grown increasingly heated.
Earle-Sears' Democratic rival, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, also took to social media to express relief that no one was injured, calling the episode "scary" and echoing gratitude for emergency crews. The governor's race has been marked by sharp exchanges between the two, with Spanberger currently enjoying a lead in recent polls.
The campaign trail has been anything but smooth, especially for Spanberger, whose campaign was recently shaken by resurfaced text messages from Jay Jones, the state's Democratic candidate for attorney general. The texts, sent in 2022, indicated he wanted to shoot the Republican speaker of Virginia's House. Earle-Sears seized on the controversy during a recent debate, pressing Spanberger to call for Jones' withdrawal from the race—a step Spanberger has so far declined to take.
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A protest against Earle-Sears had been set for Thursday in Harrisonburg, but in the wake of the bus fire, organizers opted to cancel it, reports WHSV. "Out of respect, we will not be continuing with this demonstration," protester Jena Crisler, who's running for local office, told the outlet outside the Rockingham County Fairgrounds, where the rally had been set to take place.
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