Nexstar's WAVY-TV hosted the debate, with WAVY-TV's Tom Schaad and WRIC-TV's Deanna Allbrittin as moderators.

Spanberger repeatedly refused to answer questions, while Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted her.

When asked about the interruptions, Earle-Sears Press Secretary Peyton Vogel noted that moderators repeatedly refused the Republican candidate the opportunity for a rebuttal to Spanberger's attacks. She contrasted Earle-Sears, "a leader willing to stand up when they need to" to Spanberger, who "can't even stand up against murderous fantasies on her own ticket."

Here are five key takeaways from the debate:

Political Violence

Schaad began the debate by asking a question about Virginia's car tax. After answering the question, Earle-Sears immediately pivoted to the issue of Jay Jones, the Democrat candidate for attorney general who had fantasized about shooting his political opponents. Jones made the remarks in texts in 2022, and has apologized for them.

While Spanberger condemned the texts, she has not called for Jones to leave the race.

"Abigail, when are you going to take Jay Jones and say to him, 'You must leave the race'"? the Republican asked.

Allbritin repeatedly asked Spanberger whether she still supports Jay Jones.

"The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent. I denounced them when I learned of them, and I will denounce them every opportunity I get," she said. "Importantly, my opponent, unfortunately, only denounces violence when her side is the target."

Earle-Sears accused her of lying.

"You routinely refer to me as your enemy," Spanberger replied.

Earle-Sears cited Spanberger's encouragement for her supporters to "let your rage fuel you."

The moderator twice more asked if Spanberger still supports Jones, and she refused to answer.

"We just want to clarify, what you're saying is that, as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general," the moderator added.

"I'm saying, as of now, it's up to every voter to make their own individual decision," the Democrat again dodged.

Earle-Sears brought up the issue again, and Spanberger again accused her opponent of failing to denounce political violence on the Right.

Transgender Policy

Schaad asked Spanberger if males who identify as transgender should be able to access girls' restrooms and play on girls' sports teams.

"I think it's important that we have parents and teachers and administrators making decisions about their individual schools, not politicians," the Democrat responded.

Schaad again asked her to clarify her position, and she again said it should be a local issue.

However, Earle-Sears interrupted Spanberger, and Spanberger responded to her opponent by agreeing that "there should never be nude men in [girls'] locker rooms."

"But you voted for that," Earle-Sears said. (Spanberger repeatedly voted for the "Equality Act," which would bar discrimination on the basis of gender identity in federal law, requiring schools to let boys into girls' locker rooms if they claim to identify as girls.) (Screengrab image: via X-Tyler O'Neil)

"My opponent is lying," the Democrat replied.

Schaad asked Spanberger whether she would rescind Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's policy requiring boys and girls to use bathrooms aligning with their sex. She declined to answer, so Schaad asked her yet again, and she again declined to answer directly. Her suggestion that parents and educators should make the decision would effectively reverse the Youngkin policy, however.

The Shutdown

Both candidates pointed fingers at each other about the government shutdown.

Earle-Sears noted that President Donald Trump supports a bill to fund the government at Biden-era levels but blamed Democrats for voting against that bill. Democrats support alternate legislation that would extend COVID-19-era health care subsidies and allow certain illegal aliens to receive government benefits.

Earle-Sears noted that "the House Republicans have voted and it's in the Senate, and all we need for it to get to the president so the shutdown stops is eight Senate Democrats."

"We cannot find any, because they're playing political football," the Republican said. She asked Spanberger, "When are you going to ask [Virginia Democrat] Senators [Tim] Kaine and [Mark] Warner to please keep federal workers working?"

When asked about the shutdown, Spanberger mentioned the 2018 shutdown battle, and pivoted to attacking Earle-Sears.

She said her opponent "has not stood up for Virginia workers," and accused the Republican of making "light of federal workers losing their jobs" amid Trump's efforts with the Department of Government Efficiency.

Earle-Sears said Spanberger had "cut and spliced my words so it would look like I did not care."

No Rebuttal?

On the issue of abortion, Spanberger accused Earle-Sears of having "threatened murder to women who have had abortions."

Earle-Sears asked the moderators to allow her a rebuttal, and they repeatedly refused.

Earle-Sears responded to Spanberger's accusation in a question about immigration.

"She's accused me of murder, which is very interesting because the very person who spouted murder, you won't even say that they should get out of the race," the Republican responded.

The Spanberger campaign released an ad attacking Earle-Sears over comments the Republican made in 2022, condemning abortion as murder.

"When you are willing to kill a child up until the day that the baby could be born, go get thee a mirror and ask yourself, if you're ok with this kind of thing," Earle-Sears said, according to the leftist group Meidas Touch. "I don't care whether you're Libertarian, Democrat, Reform Party, Green. I don't care who you are. Murder is murder, and one day it's going to be your turn."

Peyton Vogel, Earle-Sears' press secretary, attacked Meidas Touch in a phone call with The Daily Signal, insisting that the comments had been taken "completely out of context."

Palette Cleanser

Allbrittin asked both candidates whether they admire anything about each other. 

Spanberger said she admired Earle-Sears' faith and her decision to serve America as a Marine.

Earle-Sears said Spanberger is a "devoted mom," a "daughter who loves her parents very much," and that "she cares." Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Tyler O'Neil is senior editor at The Daily Signal and the author of two books: "Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center," and "The Woketopus: The Dark Money Cabal Manipulating the Federal Government."   

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