Virginia elects first female black lieutenant governor

Republican lieutenant governor candidate Winsome Sears appears to have won the race for the No. 2 spot in Virginia's state government, with almost all votes counted.

Unofficial results showed Sears, 57, with 1,591,434 votes, or 51.4 percent, with Democratic candidate Hala Ayala, 48, at 1,501,533 or 48.5 percent, CNN reported.

However, a handful of precincts have yet to be counted, including nine in Fairfax county and one on Tangier Island, as well as absentee ballots mailed by the Election Day deadline. Those dispatched ballots will be counted by November 5, the state Department of Elections said. 

Sears will not only make history as the first woman to hold office, but also as the first woman of color.