Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears strongly criticized what she described as former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s attempts to avoid calls for fellow Democrat Jay Jones to withdraw from the attorney general race after texts surfaced that seemed to envision the murder of a Republican leader.
During the debate, Spanberger largely avoided eye contact with Earle-Sears and disregarded her when she was interrupted.
Earle-Sears repeatedly spoke directly to Spanberger during both women’s turns to answer but received no direct responses.
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Early in the debate, Earle-Sears interrupted Spanberger, requesting a direct answer. The Democrat told the moderators that she was “aware of these messages” and considered them “absolutely abhorrent.”
“I denounced them when I learned of them and I will denounce them every chance I get,” Spanberger stated, as Earle-Sears interrupted again to press for a clear answer.
“I didn’t hear an answer on [the Jones] question,” co-moderator Deanna Albrittin pointed out to Spanberger.
Since Earle-Sears had already demanded Jones’s withdrawal, the moderators instead asked her about President Donald Trump’s expressed “hate” for political opponents after Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Earle-Sears later turned to Spanberger and rebuked her for not giving a yes-or-no answer regarding Jones, questioning if Jones would need to “pull the trigger” to prompt condemnation of his statements about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.
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The Republican was subsequently asked if she needed Trump’s endorsement, given that he explicitly endorsed lieutenant governor candidate John Reid but offered more subdued remarks for Earle-Sears during the race.
Earle-Sears also criticized Spanberger for allegedly waiting several days before condemning a left-wing protester’s racist sign at an Arlington anti-transgender-sports demonstration headlined by the Republican candidate.
The sign suggested that Earle-Sears, as a Black woman, should not be able to share water fountains if transgender students could not share bathrooms.
Regarding this, moderator Tom Schaad asked Spanberger if transgender girls born male should be allowed to use female bathrooms and participate on co-ed sports teams.
“Nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger responded, before giving a longer answer that also mentioned her background as a former federal agent investigating crimes against children.
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“That work, in part, has earned me the endorsement of the Police Benevolent Association,” she added.
Schaad repeated the question, noting the lack of a direct answer, and later attempted to ask if Spanberger would rescind an executive order by Gov. Glenn Youngkin that established a bathroom policy based on biological lines.
“My opponent will not answer the question because she voted for men nude in girls’ locker rooms,” Earle-Sears stated later.
Subsequently, both candidates were asked if they would continue or reverse any specific policies of Youngkin – who the moderators noted has high approval ratings as he nears the end of his final three months in office.
Earle-Sears said she would not reveal private conversations with Youngkin but affirmed she would not undo their progress.
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Spanberger stated she would continue Youngkin’s efforts to expand advanced nuclear power in the commonwealth.
Following the event, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, Jr., D-Portsmouth, addressed reporters as a surrogate for Spanberger.
Scott argued there is a “double standard” in pressuring Spanberger to call for Jones to withdraw, asserting Earle-Sears has not denounced violent rhetoric from Trump.
The speaker, who represents the area just south of the debate location, claimed Earle-Sears did not as strongly condemn Trump for a comment he made in 2024 when discussing neoconservatism and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris across party lines.
“Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her. OK? Let’s see how she feels about it, you know, when the guns are trained on her face,” Trump said, responding to people in the political establishment who are war “hawks” or support perpetual wars.
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The Trump campaign noted at the time that the president did not advocate for Cheney’s execution and that the press coverage of the remark was “disgraceful,” while fact-checker PolitiFact interpreted the comment as illustrative of a “combat zone” situation rather than a call for murder.
Fox News Digital contacted the Earle-Sears campaign for comment on the debate, including the candidates’ behavior on stage.
“If you’re wondering who’s capable of leading Virginia, this was the debate to watch,” Earle-Sears spokesperson Peyton Vogel told Fox News Digital.
“Abigail Spanberger couldn’t even look Lt. Gov. Earle-Sears in the eye and confirmed she will not stand up to Jay Jones’ threat-laced, murderous rhetoric.”
“If she can’t lead her own ticket, she can’t lead the Commonwealth,” Vogel concluded.
