A humorous and iconic moment occurred in Virginia’s state Senate as the state’s first female lieutenant governor presided over the legislature following her first tie-breaking vote.
After the gavel usually used to mark the beginning of the legislative session went missing as Winsome Sears was set to take the podium, she opted to use her patent leather high-heeled shoe to gavel the session to order instead.
“Resourcefulness – never underestimate it!” she quipped on Twitter after the moment was reported by news outlets. A reporter from CNN obtained a close-up picture of the history-making footwear taken by Ms Sears herself.
Ms Sears took office earlier this year as the first woman to represent the state of Virginia as its lieutenant governor. The state has never had a woman in its highest elected office.
Her election came as part of now-Gov Glenn Youngkin’s victory over Biden-aligned Terry McCauliffe, a political development that rocked the Democratic establishment (particularly in the deep blue northern Virginia suburbs of DC) and which occurred despite ceaseless attempts by Democrats to link Mr Youngkin and his supporters to Donald Trump and the January 6 attack on Congress.
The lieutenant governor first exercised her power to cast a tie-breaking vote in the state Senate, which is narrowly controlled by Democrats, last week to pass a bill aimed at reforming sentencing guidelines in the state.
