NORFOLK, Va. – Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears came out against what she called former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s evasions regarding calls for fellow Democrat Jay Jones to withdraw from the attorney general race after texts that envisioned the assassination of a Republican leader came to light.
Throughout the debate, Spanberger mostly refused to make eye contact with Earle-Sears and ignored her when she was interrupted.
Earle-Sears repeatedly addressed Spanberger directly during both women’s responses, but received no direct responses in return.
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Early on, Earle-Sears interrupted Spanberger and asked her for a direct answer. The Democrat told moderators that she was “aware of these posts” and that they were “absolutely abhorrent.”
“I denounced them when I heard about them and I will denounce them every chance I get,” Spanberger said, as Earle-Sears intervened again in an effort to push for a straight answer.
“I didn’t hear an answer [the Jones] question,” co-moderator Deanna Albrittin told Spanberger.
Since Earle-Sears had already called for Jones to resign, the moderators asked her for President instead Donald Trump‘s declared “hatred” for political opponents after the assassination Charlie Kirk.
Earle-Sears later turned to Spanberger and admonished her for refusing to give a yes-or-no answer to Jones, asking whether Jones should “pull the trigger” on actually condemning what he had said about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.
The Republican was later asked whether she needs Trump’s recommendation, as he has explicitly endorsed Lieutenant Governor candidate John Reid, but made more muted comments in favor of Earle-Sears during the race.
Earle-Sears also criticized Spanberger for allegedly waiting several days before condemning a left-wing protester’s protests. racist sign during an anti-transgender sports rally in Arlington headlined by the Republican candidate.
The sign stated that Earle-Sears (as a black woman) should not share water fountains if transgender students cannot sharing bathrooms.
Regarding the latter, moderator Tom Schaad asked Spanberger if transgender girls born as men should be able to use women’s toilets and be part of mixed sports teams.
“Nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger said, before giving a longer answer that also cited her experience as a former federal agent investigating crimes against children.
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“That work has, in part, earned me the support of the Police Benevolent Association,” she said.
Schaad repeated the question, saying there was no immediate answer, and later tried to ask whether Spanberger would rescind an executive order from the governor. Glenn Youngkin developing a bathroom policy along organic lines.
“My opponent won’t answer the question because she voted for naked men in the girls’ locker rooms,” Earle-Sears said later.
Later, both candidates were asked whether they would continue or undo any specific policies from Youngkin — who moderators reported is enjoying high approval ratings as he concludes his final three months in office.
Earle-Sears said she would not make private conversations with Youngkin public, but she would not reverse their progress.
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Spanberger said she would continue Youngkin’s efforts to grow advanced nuclear energy in the Commonwealth.
After the event, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, Jr.D-Portsmouth, spoke to reporters as a surrogate for Spanberger.
Scott said there is a “double standard” in pressuring Spanberger to call for Jones to resign. He claims Earle-Sears did not condemn Trump’s violent rhetoric.
The speaker, who represents the area just south of the debate site, claimed that Earle-Sears was not so vocal in condemning Trump because of a comment he made in 2024 while discussing neoconservatism, and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.
“Let’s put her there with a gun and nine barrels shooting at her. Okay? Let’s see how she feels about, you know, when the guns are pointed in her face,” Trump said in response to people in the political establishment who are “war hawks” or support proverbial forever wars.
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The Trump campaign noted at the time that the president had not called for Cheney’s execution and that the press treated the comment “disgracefully”, while fact-checker PolitiFact deemed the comment illustrative of a “combat zone” situation rather than a call for assassination.
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“Abigail Spanberger couldn’t even look Lt. Governor Earle-Sears in the eye and confirmed that she would not be able to withstand Jay Jones’ threats and murderous rhetoric.”
“If she can’t lead her own ticket, she can’t lead the Commonwealth,” Vogel said.
