The only debate in Virginia’s governor’s race erupted into fiery exchanges Thursday night as Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears clashed over a growing controversy — the violent text messages sent by Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones.
Hosted at Norfolk State University, the one-hour debate quickly spiraled beyond policy issues, with moderators repeatedly urging Earle-Sears not to interrupt. Much of the focus centered not on the candidates themselves, but on the fallout from Jones’ 2022 texts, in which he suggested that a Republican lawmaker should be “shot in the head.” The messages sparked bipartisan outrage and renewed calls for Jones to withdraw from the race.
When questioned about whether she still supported Jones, Spanberger condemned the texts as “absolutely abhorrent” but stopped short of withdrawing her endorsement. “It’s important that candidates denounce violence, no matter which side of the aisle,” she said. However, pressed by moderators, Spanberger would only add, “It’s up to every voter to make their own decision.”
Earle-Sears seized on the issue throughout the debate, repeatedly demanding that Spanberger call for Jones to drop out. “Abigail, when will you tell Jay Jones he must leave the race?” she said. “He advocated murder — not just of a political opponent, but his children too.”
At one point, Earle-Sears looked directly at Spanberger and challenged, “Would it take him pulling the trigger for you to say he needs to leave the race? Have some political courage.”
Spanberger did not directly answer, maintaining her stance that voters should decide.
Outside of the Jones scandal, the candidates sparred over transgender rights, education, immigration, reproductive rights, and the federal government shutdown. When asked about transgender students using bathrooms matching their gender identity, Spanberger said, “Parents, teachers, and administrators should make those decisions — not politicians.” But she added, “There should never be nude men in girls’ locker rooms.”
Earle-Sears attacked Spanberger’s handling of federal issues, accusing her of politicizing Trump’s government cuts that affected federal workers in Virginia. “She wants to act like she loves federal workers more than anyone else,” Earle-Sears said, urging Spanberger to “tell Democrats to go back and vote to reopen the government.”
The debate also reignited culture war issues, including same-sex marriage, where Earle-Sears reaffirmed her “moral opposition,” prompting Spanberger to accuse her of discrimination. Earle-Sears shot back, “That’s not discrimination.”
With early voting already underway, the debate was viewed as one of Earle-Sears’ final chances to gain ground against Spanberger, who currently leads in both polling and fundraising. But rather than cooling tensions, the night ended with even sharper divisions — and no clear resolution over the Jay Jones scandal that continues to dominate Virginia’s political landscape.