This year, it’s all but certain that Virginia’s next governor won’t be the best man for the job—because for the first time in the state’s history, both major parties have nominated women. Last week, Democrats and Republicans made it official, setting up a historical race that guarantees Virginia will finally elect its first female governor.

For the Republican nominee, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, being first isn’t a new thing. She’s the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia. Back in 2001, she was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, marking her as the first Black Republican woman to hold that position.

She’s also the first female former veteran to serve as lieutenant governor in Virginia. The former Marine is also the first naturalized citizen to serve as Virginia’s lieutenant governor, having immigrated to the United States from Jamaica when she was 6.

Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee, also isn’t from around here, having been born in a far off land called “New Jersey.” She moved to Henrico County while a teenager and graduated from J.R. Tucker High School. She became the first Democrat since 1968 and the first woman ever to represent Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in 2018 when she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Before entering politics, she served as a CIA officer, focusing on nuclear proliferation and terrorism until 2014. Prior to that, she held the extremely challenging position of substitute teacher. (If you’ve been there, you know.)

Both women are poised to make history on Election Day — and neither wants to be remembered as the first woman to lose a Virginia gubernatorial race — to another woman. Each presents a unique vision for the state’s future and carries the hopes of voters who see their candidacy as progress — not only for women, but for their parties as well.

History, it would seem, is on Spanberger’s side. In the past, Virginia voters haven’t selected nominees from the same political party that occupies the White House. It’s called the “Virginia Way.” One exception was the election of Terry McCauliffe, in 2013 who was elected while Barack Obama was in his second term as president. This year, there sits another transformative figure in American politics in the White House, but we anticipate that this “Virginia Way” trend may continue.

As for Sears, it appears that she has some important Republicans in her corner, besides the governor. Which may not seem to be a big deal, but for some reason it took awhile for some of the more prominent voices in the party to come around to supporting her candidacy. They made sharp criticisms of her campaign and her positions before falling in line, calling her “unelectable,” claiming that she had “already given up,” and that she was “not the strongest candidate.” As the saying goes, “it be your own people …”

The campaigns of Spanberger and Sears bring to mind another history-maker — Mary Sue Terry. Back in 1993, she was Virginia’s attorney general and the first woman nominated by a major party for governor. But things didn’t go her way.

Some say party squabbling on the Democratic side hurt her chances. Others point to the campaign’s struggle to connect with Black voters. Whatever the reasons, a political rookie named George Allen became the next governor.

The Democratic Party and Spanberger have the opportunity to apply lessons learned and make the right kind of history in November. The stakes are high and the whole country is watching.

No matter who wins, Virginia will be turning a page in its history books — and writing a new chapter led by a woman.

The question now is whose story voters want to tell.