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Murderous texts and girls’ locker rooms: Highlights from Virginia’s gubernatorial debate

Murderous texts and girls’ locker rooms: Highlights from Virginia’s gubernatorial debate

· 3 min read
Murderous texts and girls’ locker rooms: Highlights from Virginia’s gubernatorial debate

Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears on Thursday faced off against former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the only debate slated to take place ahead of Virginia’s Nov. 4 gubernatorial election. 

The debate was a heated one, overshadowed not only by hot-button issues like Spanberger’s controversial support for transgenderism in schools and male participation in girls’ sports, but also the recent revelation of murderous texts written by Democratic candidate for attorney general Jay Jones. Here are the highlights from Thursday’s debate.

Males in girls’ bathrooms?

Asked whether she would rescind Virginia’s current policy requiring male and female students to use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their true sexes, Spanberger answered rather indirectly that the question should be left to local communities and not “dictated by politicians.”

In an attempt to hedge against the controversial implications of her pro-LGBT record, she stated that there should “never be nude men” in girls’ locker rooms. Earle-Sears shot back “but you voted for that,” in reference to Spanberger having voted for the Equality Act, which allows males who identify as female to use female-only spaces and compete in womens’ and girls’ sports.

Spanberger refuses to call on Jay Jones to withdraw

As CatholicVote has reported, “Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones remains in the race despite widespread condemnation of a series of 2022 text messages in which he stated he would shoot a Republican politician in the head and fantasized about the children of another Republican being killed.”

Ahead of Thursday’s debate, Spanberger had denounced the texts, but refused to call on Jones to withdraw his candidacy. Asked directly Thursday whether she continues to endorse Jones’ run for office, Spanberger repeatedly refused to answer.

‘What would it take?’

Winsome-Sears pressed Spangerger further on Jones’ candidacy, pointing out that the Democratic candidate for governor has children of her own. Jones “advocated the murder” of a politician as well as his children, said Winsome-Sears.

“You have two little girls,” Winsome-Sears said. “Would it take him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it? And then you would say he needs to get out of the race? Abigail? You have nothing to say? Abigail!”

Spanberger did not respond.