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2h ago

Spanberger and Earle-Sears Meet Tonight for Only Televised Virginia Governor Debate at Norfolk State

Pre-debate indicators show Abigail Spanberger ahead as voters tune in on Nexstar’s exclusive broadcast.

This combo image shows Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears, left, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, right. (AP Photo)
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Overview

  • The debate airs live at 7 p.m. with a 6:30 p.m. preview and an 8 p.m. debrief on WAVY+ and WAVY.com, carried exclusively across Nexstar’s Virginia stations and digital platforms.
  • Moderators Tom Schaad (WAVY) and Deanna Allbrittin (WRIC) will enforce rules allowing 60-second answers, 30-second rebuttals, a coin-toss for the first question, and 30-second closing statements without notes or props.
  • Two recent surveys from Emerson College/The Hill and CNU’s Wason Center show Spanberger leading 52% to 42% among likely voters, and Google Trends data indicates higher search interest for her across most regions.
  • Finance filings tracked by VPAP show Spanberger with roughly $41 million raised compared with about $16 million for Earle-Sears.
  • Policy clashes are expected over federal workforce cuts and the ongoing shutdown’s impact in Virginia, with Earle-Sears emphasizing cultural issues and Spanberger focusing on affordability, as Democrats contend with the separate Jay Jones text controversy whose electoral effect remains unclear.