NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia gubernatorial candidates Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle-Sears will meet face to face for the only time ahead of the November election Thursday night.
Ahead of the highly awaited debate, political expert and Associate Professor at Old Dominion University Jessie Richman previewed how each candidate will attack the debate.
According to Polls from Emerson College and Christopher Newport University, Spanberger has a double-digit lead on Earle-Sears.
Those polls were conducted before Democratic Attorney General candidate, Jay Jones, came under fire for a text exchange where he talked about shooting former Republican GOP speaker Todd Gilbert.
Polling showed that one of the top issues for voters was threats to democracy. Richman believes Earle-Sears will use the Jones situation to fuel her side of the argument.
“The Jay Jones thing plays into the republican version of why there is a threat to democracy. So, that is a challenge to the Democrats because that seems to lend a little more credence to the Republicans narrative to the dangers as oppose to the democrats narratives,” Richman said.
The top issue according to polls is the economy, and by a wide margin. Others include housing costs, healthcare and education.
A debate provides candidates a chance to prove they can handle those policy issues, but also a chance to showcase if they are poised to lead the state of Virginia.
“I think people will be evaluating them as people, evaluating them in terms of their ability to effectively respond to the arguments of the other candidate and likeability, charisma, all of that comes in to play.”
In the end, Spanberger and Earle-Sears are aiming to win over the vote of the undecided Virginian.
“There are voters whose own views don’t align with either candidate. ‘I like some things of one candidate and some things the other candidate.’ Those voters are going to be trying to weigh which of the things I agree with are the most important.”
Thursday’s debate will air exclusively on WAVY at 7 p.m. with coverage beginning on FOX 43, the WAVY+ app, and WAVY.com at 6:30 p.m.
Following the debate there will be a debrief beginning at 8 p.m.
