2 women vie to make history as Virginia lieutenant governor

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In interviews this week, after Ayala's win in the Democratic primary Tuesday, both Democratic and Republican women expressed excitement about the race and frustration that it's taken so long to get here. “I'm thrilled we will be saying ‘Madam President' come next year,” Republican state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant said, referring to how the staid chamber addresses the lieutenant governor who oversees it. “There is something wrong with this picture.” Barring some extraordinary turn of events, this year's race will pit Ayala, a cybersecurity specialist who launched her political career in 2017 in response to the election of Donald Trump, against Sears, a Marine veteran who has made history as a woman in politics before. “Hala Ayala is closer to shattering one of the highest glass ceilings in Virginia elected office, which would be a triumph for the entire Latino community,” Nathalie Rayes, Latino Victory Fund president & CEO, said in a statement.