(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A local Democratic Party chapter in Virginia on Friday posted, then deleted, a racially charged cartoon smearing Winsome Earle-Sears, the state’s lieutenant governor, who is running for governor in 2025.
The cartoon, posted Friday by Powhatan County Democrats on X, depicted Earle-Sears as a raving lunatic to mock her performance during Thursday’s debate with Abigail Spanberger, her Democratic opponent and former congresswoman.
The image portrayed Earle-Sears, who is black, with exaggerated features around her hips and lips, painting her as angry and disruptive.
“Abigail! Abigail! Blah blah. Interrupt! Interrupt!” the cartoon read beside the caricature of Earle-Sears. “No abortions. No gay marriage. I’m with Trump!”
Since folks are saying they deleted it. . . https://t.co/4x6Xn2wUH3 pic.twitter.com/3g79l0MEAZ
— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) October 10, 2025
By contrast, Spanberger appeared polished, taller than Earle-Sears, and looking down on her with an air of superiority. “May I speak?” read a speech bubble near Spanberger.
The Powhatan County Democrats deleted the post amid mounting backlash.
“We reposted an online political cartoon that some people thought had racist overtones. That was certainly not our intent. We have deleted it out of respect to anyone who took it that way,” the group said in a statement.
The cartoon followed a tense debate between Earle-Sears and Spanberger, during which Earle-Sears repeatedly pressed her opponent on whether she still supported Jay Jones, the embattled Democrat running for Virginia attorney general.
Jones had sent text messages in 2022, months after resigning from the legislature, saying he wanted to kill a top Republican in the state legislature.
Abigail Spanberger’s silence says it all. pic.twitter.com/orrgAzULKK
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 10, 2025
Throughout the race, Earle-Sears has faced repeated racist attacks from Democrats, including a protester at a GOP rally who held a sign reading: “Hey Winsome, if trans can’t share your bathroom, then blacks can’t share my water fountain.”
