Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears Says America Is Still Exceptional

Virginia’s lieutenant governor said people around the world still view the United States as the best place to live, despite narratives to the contrary.

Virginia Republican candidate for lieutenant governor Winsome Sears takes the stage with her family during an election night rally at the Westfields Marriott Washington Dulles in Chantilly, Virginia on Nov. 2, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Winsome Sears stunned the nation with her historic 2021 victory to become Virginia’s first female lieutenant governor and first black woman to hold statewide office.

The Republican is also the first Jamaican immigrant and female military veteran to hold the position, though those achievements have not been as widely celebrated as one might expect.