By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Virginia’s governor’s race will take center stage tonight as Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger and Republican nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears meet in the only scheduled debate of the campaign.
The debate begins at 7 p.m. at Norfolk State University and will be broadcast statewide on Nexstar platforms.
It’s the lone chance for voters to see both nominees on the same stage before the Nov. 4 election. Both campaigns have built their platforms around issues including education, the economy, public safety and abortion, which are expected to be central topics during the debate.
Early voting is already underway.
A Wason Center poll released this week shows Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 52% to 42% among likely voters, with 6% undecided. Nearly nine in 10 voters say they are motivated to cast a ballot this year.
In other election news, Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones is coming under pressure from the Virginia Fraternal Order of Police after leaked text messages showed him talking about shooting former House Speaker Todd Gilbert.
“This conduct has no place in our society or our democracy, especially from an elected official who is running to be the top prosecutor in Virginia,” the organization said in its letter.
The group added, “It is time you hold yourself accountable for these actions and withdraw from the attorney general race immediately.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin echoed those calls online.
The poll, conducted Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, came before Jones faced criticism over the leaked text messages.
The lieutenant governor’s race is also on the ballot next month. The poll found Democratic nominee Ghazala Hashmi ahead of Republican John Reid by nine points, 48% to 39%.
Tonight’s debate marks a key moment in a race that has played out mostly through ads, polling and campaign stops, giving voters their only direct comparison of the two nominees before Election Day.