Winsome Sears is a name we’ll be hearing a lot more in the coming days and years, now that she’s won the 2021 race for Lt. Governor in Virginia and shown herself to be the most refreshing spokesperson in America on the issue of race. Leftists, better sit down: she did it by saying we need to think a lot less about race.

You folks at CNN and MSNBC who talk compulsively in terms of “dog whistles” (which only you hear) and “code” (which only you recognize) will probably not have her as a guest very often, as she will good-naturedly wipe the floor with you every time.

This is Not About Race

Sears is black and makes it clear she “identifies” as black, having immigrated legally to the U.S. from Jamaica at age 6, in 1963 when the Civil Rights Movement was still raging. But today, she clearly sees the damage caused by the relentless emphasis on race. “We’re framing too many issues in terms of race and it just continues to divide us,” she told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Wednesday. “And, unfortunately, politicians are using it as a tool because of the things that have happened to us historically to advance, I would think, their nefarious purposes.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, I am black,” she said in her speech to introduce Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin early Wednesday. “And I have been black all my life, but that’s not what this is about.” Yes, she’s the first black woman to win statewide office in Virginia, but that’s not the way she wants to think of this achievement. “I didn’t run to make history,” she said. “I just wanted to make it better than I found it. And with your help, I’m going to do that.”

Stop looking at race, she says, and start looking at people. “I didn’t do anything special to get here except stay in school and study,” she told MacCallum. She’s right; that’s the best advice any young person could get. Success is just being in America and taking advantage of the opportunities here.

“You’re Looking at the American Dream”

One way she did that was to join the U.S. Marine Corps. “When I joined the Marine Corps, I was still a Jamaican,” she said. (She was 19 then and became a U.S. citizen one year later.) “But this country had done so much for me I was willing to die for this country.”

Later, when she wanted to attend college but had three children under age 5, she was just determined, even putting one of her kids on the back of her bicycle with her to get to class, and she earned a masters degree in organizational leadership from Regent University.

Before she got into politics, winning a term from 2002 to 2004 in Virginia’s House of Delegates — the first black Republican woman and first naturalized citizen to do so, and the first Republican to win a majority-black district since 1865 — she was the director of a Salvation Army homeless shelter. She also led a men’s prison ministry.

After leaving politics, she became the owner of an appliance and plumbing repair store in Virginia — having learned electronics in the Marines — and also served as vice president of the Virginia Board of Education. Her run for lieutenant governor this year marks her return to politics after almost two decades.

“America allowed me to come and do for myself and my family,” she said. “No one can say to me I don’t know what it is to be poor. You’re looking at the American Dream.”

United — Not Divided

“We’re always going to have problems,” she said. “I understand that. I’m not saying we’re perfect. But you can see those people at the border right now trying to get in. They’re dying to get in because they know if they can put a foot on American soil, the trajectory of their lives will change just as it did for my father.”

She noted that times have changed since her father arrived here with $1.75 in his pocket. “There are some who want to divide us and we must not let that happen,” she said in her speech. “They would like us to believe that we are back in 1963 when my father came.” But we’re not. “I’m living proof,” she said.

On Fox & Friends early Wednesday morning, before her win was official, she showed herself to be a good spokesperson for those of faith as well, calling her projected win “a God thing.” She said she had little money, a ragtag staff, and was outspent and “outgunned, if you will.” And yet it happened.

Speaking of guns, we linked yesterday to a picture of Sears looking every bit the Marine, confidently carrying her AR-15 at a target range last April. If you missed it, here it is.

Gun-control activists in Virginia have been trying since 2019 to put in place new restrictions on “assault” weapons, but the win by this strong 2nd Amendment advocate does not reflect positively on their chances.

During her campaign, she advocated for increasing pay for teachers and law enforcement, cutting taxes and expanding veteran care centers. And even though she de-emphasizes race in our political dialogue, she also said she’d push for the creation of a Black Virginians Advisory Cabinet for the governor and for a “once-in-a-generation investment” in historically black colleges and universities.

Congratulations to A Rising Star

 Here are a few more details about this rising star, from her campaign website.

One of the best profiles we’ve found of her was written by Eleanor Vaughn for AMAC, the Association of Mature American Citizens, in September, as the campaign was in full swing.

Here’s another good one, which mentions that Sears actually is dismayed by the dismantling of Confederate statues. “The curious thing,” she said, “is that I have spoken to enough black people, and what they’re telling me is they wanted the statues up, so that they could talk to their children about who this person was, what they did, what they didn’t do.” (See, it’s as Trump said: there are “fine people” on both sides of the statues argument.)

Incidentally, the Squad completely ignored the win by this black female. Surprised?

At this writing, Sean Hannity’s Wednesday TV interview of Sears had not yet been posted, but I hope you’ll check it out. Her words to Democrats not telling her how to vote because she’s black are magnificent.

Sears definitely has a sassy side. Here she is in a tweet spoofing Kamala Harris shortly after she and Joe Biden were elected. And yes, “based” is a compliment, and it fits. It means to have some swagger, to not care much what others think.

This one is a hoot as well.

No, Sears is not a natural-born U.S. citizen, but perhaps someday we’ll be considering the repeal of that one qualification for President. Hey, she wasn’t born here, but she got here as fast as she could. Congratulations, Winsome Sears.

 

Mike Huckabee is the former governor of Arkansas and longtime conservative commentator on issues in culture and current events. A New York Times best-selling author, he hosts the weekly talk show Huckabee on TBN. 

Originally published at MikeHuckabee.com. Reprinted with permission.