Tipsheet

Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates Trade Barbs in First Debate

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  September 17, 2021 4:40 AM

Democrat Terry McAuliffe, who has served previously as the governor of Virginia, and Republican Glenn Youngkin, formerly the CEO of the Carlyle Group, faced off on Thursday night for their first debate in Grundy, Virginia.

The one hour long debate, moderated by USA Today's Susan Page, touched upon numerous topics affecting the commonwealth, though the candidates positions on how to handle the COVID-19 pandemic perhaps received the most attention. It was also the first topic raised.

Youngkin reminded that he "has been a strong, strong advocate for everyone to get the vaccine. I do believe that individuals should be allowed to make that decision on their own." He went on to cite a PSA he's shared urging people to get it. Youngkin also referenced how he invited McAuliffe to do a joint PSA with him, "to encourage all Virginians to get the vaccine," which McAuliffe declined to do. 

McAuliffe reaffirmed his dismissal of the joint effort, as well as how he has called for various kinds of employers to mandate vaccines. "He wants to do PSAs," McAuliffe said about his opponent. "PSAs aren't going to get you anything... I'm showing leadership. I'm not doing leadership. I'm telling you let's get everybody vaccinated." He later called such an effort "a political stunt" as well. 

In his allotted time to discuss COVID, McAuliffe also claimed that Youngkin has "anti-vaxx rhetoric out there," which McAuliffe believes "is life threatening and that's disqualifying as governor."

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Youngkin's position on the vaccine was perhaps best summarized when he was given a chance to respond to McAuliffe: "My position on the vaccine has been very clear. I absolutely encourage all Virginians to get the vaccine. And we'll go to work together to make sure that you have all the information you need to feel good about it. My opponent has said he wants to make life difficult for people who don't get the vaccine. I think Virginians have suffered enough without having a governor make their life difficult."

McAuliffe was particularly hard pressed to bring up that Youngkin was not "requiring" or "forcing" people to get vaccinated. 

Abortion was another hot topic. Page asked both candidates about their positions, with each other them sticking to their previously stated views. 

McAuliffe said "my opponent, as you know, wants to ban abortions." He went on to speak to female Virginians as one monolithic voting group. "But I can tell you, women watching tonight, I was a brick wall," McAulife said, repeating a line he's said countless times. "I kept our women's clinics open when I was governor." In addition to claiming the Texas law banning most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, at around six weeks "is dangerous for the woman's life," he said it's "also crippling to the Virginia economy."

Just a moment later, McAuliffe repeated the same pro-abortion talking point. "I will say this again to every woman watching tonight. I will protect your rights. I believe a woman ought to make her own decision about her own reproductive rights. And I will support those. And I was a brick wall while I was governor. I vetoed all the bills that [Youngkin] would have proposed to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood.

McAuliffe has made it a major campaign issue as he's repeatedly attempted to tie Youngkin to that Texas law Youngkin however, told Page multiple times that he does not feel the Texas law is right for Virginia, and would not sign it if it came across his desk as governor. Where he did seek to further address the issue was by painting McAuliffe as someone who "ignores the truth and is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate in America today" who "is marketing Virginia as a place to get an abortion as opposed to the place to do business."

Youngkin during the debate denied that there has been "significant fraud in Virginia elections," and also addressed a point Townhall has covered multiple times, which is McAuliffe's failure to accept the results of the 2000 presidential election, while claiming Youngkin is the one "parroting conspiracy theories." In contrast, Youngkin reminded he has affirmed Joe Biden is president. He did also call for Virginia to "invest in our election system."

McAuliffe has been so Trump focused that Page noticed, devoting an entire question to this preoccupation. She asked: "Mr. McAuliffe, to watch your campaign ads, Virginia voters might well think Donald Trump is on the ballot. When you had a chance to ask him a question, you mentioned Trump, as you have in many of your ads. My question, why have so many of your paid ads and rhetoric mentioned Trump in an election focused on the people of Virginia and in an election that presumably should be focused on your own proposals for what you would do as governor?"

McAuliffe's response was that Youngkin has said he was "honored" to have Trump's endorsement, and then argued that it was Youngkin "is the one who has inserted Donald Trump here" and said Youngkin is also following Trump's policies.

Towards the end of the debate, Candace Burns an anchor with WTVR asked about education, specifically Critical Race Theory (CRT), reminding that Youngkin has promised to ban CRT if elected. Part of Youngkin's response entailed addressing how "to think [CRT] is not in our schools is absolutely bogus," going on to say that "the problem with Critical Race Theory is it teaches our children to actually view everything through a lens of race, in direct contravention to those immortal words of Martin Luther King, who asked us to judge one another based on the content of our character, not the color of our skin."

McAuliffe denied CRT is taught in Virginia's school, emphasizing "I hate how it's a big dog whistle. I really hate it." Months prior, McAuliffe claimed CRT was a "right-wing conspiracy."