Winsome Sears reflects on historic Virginia election win; dismantling ‘all narratives’ on race

close

Video

Winsome Sears: You're looking at the American Dream

Virginia lieutenant governor-elect reflects on her historic win on 'The Story.'

Virginia lieutenant governor-elect Winsome Sears reflected on her victory in the race to become the first woman and woman of color to be elected as Virginia's lieutenant governor Wednesday on "The Story with Martha MacCallum," saying she was "destroying all of the narratives about race." 

"We’re framing too many issues in terms of race and it just continues to divide us," she said. "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."

WINSOME SEARS SAYS SHE WOULD DIE FOR AMERICA, STARTS ‘USA’ CHANT DURING VICTORY SPEECH

Winsome said that it was important for people to "stop looking at race," and instead, just look "at people."

Sears stressed that she is only a "heartbeat away" from the governorship, and insisting that she is a victim due to the color of her skin is a non-argument.

"I didn’t do anything special to get here except stay in school and study," she said. 

As a Jamaican migrant and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Sears said she’s been able to take advantage of the vast opportunities available in America. When Sears had a will to attend college as a mother of three children under the age of five, she described putting one of her kids on the back of a bicycle just to get to class.

"America allowed me to come and do for myself and for 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."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Sears insisted that as a nation "we can do better," comparing today’s current events to when her father came to America during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in 1963.

"We’re always going to have problems, I understand that," she said. "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."