Spanberger, Earle-Sears spar in lone VA debate
At the lone Virginia debate, Republican Winsome Earle‑Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger clashed over the controversy surrounding AG nominee Jay Jones — moderators repeatedly pressed Spanberger for a yes-or-no on whether Jones should drop out after derogatory texts, which she called “abhorrent” but did not directly say warranted his departure, while Earle‑Sears pressed the issue aggressively. They also sparred over transgender school policies and Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s new directive separating bathrooms/locker rooms and barring transgender girls from female sports: Earle‑Sears pledged to keep Youngkin’s policy and accused Spanberger of delaying condemnation of a racist sign at an anti‑trans protest, while Spanberger emphasized student safety, local decision‑making, cited an endorsement from the Police Benevolent Association and said, “There should never be nude men in locker rooms.”
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📌 Key Facts
- The lone Virginia debate between incumbent Rep. Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears was moderated by Deanna Albrittin and Tom Schaad, who repeatedly pressed Spanberger for a yes-or-no answer on whether Attorney General nominee Jay Jones should drop out over controversial texts.
- Spanberger condemned the texts as “abhorrent” but did not directly call for Jones to leave the race.
- Earle-Sears escalated the Jones exchange, asking whether it would take Jones “pulling the trigger” for Spanberger to take a firmer stance; moderators also questioned Earle-Sears about the extent of former President Trump’s endorsement.
- Moderators asked both candidates whether transgender girls should use girls’ bathrooms and play on girls’ teams; Spanberger stressed student safety and her child‑protection background, cited an endorsement from the Police Benevolent Association, and said, “There should never be nude men in locker rooms.”
- Spanberger declined to say whether she would rescind Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive directive on bathrooms and athletics, arguing such decisions should be made locally by parents and educators.
- Earle-Sears pledged she would not rescind Youngkin’s directive — which separates bathrooms/locker rooms by sex assigned at birth and bars biological males from female athletic teams — and attacked Spanberger for allegedly voting to allow “men nude in girls’ locker rooms” and for delaying condemnation of a racist sign at an Arlington anti-trans sports protest Earle-Sears attended.
- The coverage notes Gov. Youngkin issued the executive directive earlier this month.
📰 Sources (3)
‘Nude men in locker rooms’: Earle-Sears blasts Spanberger over transgender locker room stance in heated debate
New information:
- Winsome Earle-Sears pledged she would not rescind Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive directive keeping bathrooms/locker rooms separated by sex assigned at birth and barring biological males from female athletic teams.
- Abigail Spanberger declined to say whether she would rescind the directive, saying such decisions should be made locally by parents and educators rather than by politicians.
- Spanberger stated, 'There should never be nude men in locker rooms,' after repeated prodding from Earle-Sears.
- The article reiterates Youngkin issued the executive directive earlier this month.
Earle-Sears comes out swinging in heated debate as Spanberger dodges Jay Jones questions
New information:
- Moderators Deanna Albrittin and Tom Schaad repeatedly pressed Spanberger for a yes-or-no answer on whether AG nominee Jay Jones should drop out; Spanberger condemned the texts as “abhorrent” but did not directly say he should leave the race.
- Earle-Sears escalated the Jones exchange, asking whether it would take Jones “pulling the trigger” for Spanberger to take a firmer stance.
- On transgender policies, moderators asked Spanberger whether transgender girls should use girls’ bathrooms and play on girls’ teams; Spanberger emphasized student safety and her child-protection background, while Earle-Sears said Spanberger “voted for men nude in girls’ locker rooms.”
- Spanberger cited an endorsement from the Police Benevolent Association during her response on school safety and transgender policy.
- Earle-Sears criticized Spanberger for allegedly delaying condemnation of a racist sign at an Arlington anti-trans sports protest that Earle-Sears attended.
- Moderators asked Earle-Sears about the extent of Trump’s endorsement and asked Spanberger about potentially rescinding Gov. Youngkin’s bathroom policy executive order; Youngkin’s policies were a specific point of contrast.