Republican Nominee Winsome Earle-Sears Accepts CNN Debate Invite; Democrat Abigail Spanberger Declines, Prioritizing Virginia Broadcasters

In a significant turn of events, the Republican nominee for Virginia’s governorship, Winsome Earle-Sears, has accepted an invitation from CNN to participate in a fall debate. This decision comes after her Democratic rival, former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, declined the same invite the following day.

The upcoming gubernatorial election in Virginia is one of two such contests across the nation post-presidential election and could potentially act as a precursor to next year’s midterms. Earle-Sears, often perceived as an underdog by her party members, finds herself against Spanberger, who secured the endorsement from the Virginia Police Benevolent Association on Wednesday, despite the law enforcement group backing Republicans for lieutenant governor and attorney general.

CNN’s debate forum was scheduled to take place live in late September or early October, with questions directly posed by voters and moderated by network anchors. Commenting on the debate, Peyton Vogel, spokeswoman for Earle-Sears’ campaign, stated, “Winsome Earle-Sears is not shy about answering tough questions and engaging directly with Virginians. This debate provides an opportunity for voters to discern the distinction between a leader with a clear vision and a career politician who tends to evade key issues.”

On the other hand, Spanberger’s team referenced a regional debate that her campaign accepted but Earle-Sears declined. Negotiations are reportedly underway with WAVY-TV and Norfolk State University for a potential alternative debate. Samson Signori, Spanberger’s campaign manager, explained, “We have opted out of participating in a debate hosted by CNN to prioritize Virginia broadcasters and ensure the focus remains solely on issues affecting Virginia. We believe debates concerning Virginia’s future should be rooted in Virginia, produced by Virginia media, and accessible to Virginians across the state — a stance reinforced after Winsome Earle-Sears declined a debate featuring three Virginia broadcast partners.”

Since 2015, CNN has moderated or co-moderated over 190 town halls, 13 presidential primary debates, and two general election debates.