(The Center Square) – Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger has formally accepted an invitation to participate in the Oct. 9 debate hosted by WAVY-TV and Norfolk State University, according to her campaign.
The release said this marks the second statewide, Virginia-focused debate Spanberger agreed to. She had previously accepted the statewide “People’s Debate” at Virginia State University hosted by AARP Virginia, which was later canceled after Sears did not participate.
According to the release, Spanberger’s acceptance of the WAVY–Norfolk State debate follows her decision to join the “People’s Debate” that was later canceled. Sears, meanwhile, accepted CNN’s invitation to a separate debate that Spanberger declined.
“Virginians have a clear choice in November. Abigail Spanberger is the only candidate with a gameplan for lowering costs for Virginia families, strengthening Virginia’s public schools, and standing up for Virginia’s economy in this moment of chaos and uncertainty,” said Samson Signori, Spanberger’s campaign manager, in the release.
“Abigail is prepared and ready to debate the issues at Norfolk State University, outline her vision for putting Virginians first, and make clear that her opponent is far too extreme for the Commonwealth.”
The Center Square reached out to Sears’ campaign to confirm whether she will also participate in the WAVY–Norfolk State debate and for comment on the event but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
Debate wrangling is also playing out in Virginia’s other statewide races. On Aug. 11, Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid challenged Democratic Sen. Ghazala Hashmi to join him for a Lincoln–Douglas style debate on live radio, saying Virginians deserve “real answers, unfiltered and in real time.”
Disagreements over debate formats are not new in Virginia politics. In 2021, Glenn Youngkin and Terry McAuliffe sparred over moderators before ultimately meeting twice on stage.
