EXCLUSIVE  A Conversation With Winsome Sears: 'I'm Not Asking for Permission Because I'm an Adult'

Virginia's new Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears told CBN News' Heather Sells that she's tired of assumptions that African-Americans will vote for Democratic candidates.

"People look at me and immediately they think – if they don't know me – Democrat. There's no political power in that. None at all," she said, adding that she'd like to see the political parties court all voters. "Let's just allow each other to be – and by the way, I'm not asking for your permission because I'm an adult. I'm going to vote the way that I want to."

Sears spoke with CBN News in a wide-ranging interview that included a discussion about her journey toward an enduring faith in Jesus Christ, and how God led her to pursue politics. 

She told CBN News she began following the Lord as a young mother, after a period of turbulence in her relationship with God.
 
"I just never knew how to 'stay saved' as they say. I kept falling away and coming back," she said. "I was kind of one of those people who every Sunday I was coming down the aisle to get saved because I wasn't ever discipled."

It all changed one Sunday morning when she stayed home from church with her youngest daughter and felt God speaking directly to her. 

"I heard a voice say, 'She's going to grow up not knowing Me and she's going to blame you.' That was the Lord. And I said, 'No, she's not.' And right then and there I looked for a church," she said. She found one that discipled her and started on the path towards maturity in Christ.

During the interview with CBN News, just days before her inauguration, Sears also spoke out on COVID. She encouraged people to get the vaccine but also to remain vigilant on the issue of liberty. "It's too politicized," she said. "Let's get policy, not politics. You know, don't consult your local politician, consult your doctor."

As Virginia's new lieutenant governor, Sears is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in the Commonwealth and presides over the Senate where she serves as a tie-breaker.

Click the interview above to hear the rest of her story and what she hopes to accomplish in office.

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