Earle-Sears stands out as Spanberger avoids questions from Jay Jones

NORFOLK, Virginia – Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears spoke out against what she called former Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s dodges over calls for fellow Democrat Jay Jones to drop out of the attorney general contest after texts contemplating the murder of a Republican leader came to light.

Throughout the debate, Spanberger mostly refused to make eye contact with Earle-Sears and ignored her when she was interrupted.

Earle-Sears addressed Spanberger directly several times during both women’s responses, but received no direct response in return.

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Early on, Earle-Sears interrupted Spanberger, asking him to give a straight answer. The Democrat told moderators she was “aware of these messages” and that they were “absolutely abhorrent.”

“I denounced them as soon as I became aware of them and I will denounce them every chance I get,” Spanberger said, as Earle-Sears once again intervened to try to get a straight answer.

“I haven’t heard an answer to (Jones’) question,” co-moderator Deanna Albrittin told Spanberger.

Since Earle-Sears had already requested that Jones drop out, moderators instead asked him about President Donald Trump’s stated “hatred” of political opponents following the murder of Charlie Kirk.

Earle-Sears then turned to Spanberger and chastised her for refusing to give a yes or no answer on Jones, asking whether it would take Jones to “pull the trigger” to actually condemn what he had said about then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah.

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The Republican was then asked if she needed Trump’s support, as he explicitly supported lieutenant governor candidate John Reid but offered more low-key comments to Earle-Sears throughout the race.

Earle-Sears also criticized Spanberger for allegedly waiting several days before condemning a left-wing protester’s racist sign at an anti-transgender sports rally in Arlington headlined by the Republican candidate.

The sign stated that Earle-Sears should not be able to share water fountains (as a black woman) if transgender students cannot share restrooms.

On this subject, moderator Tom Schaad asked Spanberger whether transgender girls born male should be able to use women’s restrooms and be on co-ed sports teams.

“Nothing is more important to me than their safety and their experience in schools,” Spanberger said, before offering a longer response that also cited her experience as a former federal agent investigating crimes against children.

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“This work partly earned me the support of the Police Benevolent Association,” she said.

Schaad reiterated the question, saying there was no direct answer, and then attempted to ask whether Spanberger would rescind an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin establishing a bathroom policy along biological lines.

“My opponent won’t answer the question because she voted for naked men in girls’ locker rooms,” Earle-Sears later said.

Later, both candidates were asked whether they would continue or reverse certain specific policies of Youngkin — who moderators said enjoys high approval ratings as he closes out his final three months in office.

Earle-Sears said she would not disclose private conversations with Youngkin but would not undo their progress.

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Spanberger said she would continue Youngkin’s efforts to develop advanced nuclear energy in the Commonwealth.

After the event, Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, Jr., D-Portsmouth, spoke to reporters as a surrogate for Spanberger.

Scott said there was a “double standard” in pressuring Spanberger to call on Jones to drop out, saying Earle-Sears had not denounced Trump’s violent rhetoric.

The speaker, who represents the area just south of the debate site, claimed that Earle-Sears did not condemn Trump so vehemently for a remark he made in 2024 while discussing neoconservatism and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney’s endorsement of Kamala Harris.

“Let’s put her there with a rifle with nine barrels shooting at her. OK? Let’s see how she feels, you know, when the guns are in her face,” Trump said in rebuttal to members of the political establishment who are war “hawks” or who support the proverbial forever wars.

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The Trump campaign noted at the time that the president did not call for Cheney’s execution and that the press covered the remark in a “shameful” manner, while fact-checker PolitiFact viewed the comment as illustrating a “battle zone” situation rather than a call for murder.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Earle-Sears campaign for comment on the debate, including how the candidates behaved on stage.

“If you’re wondering who is capable of running Virginia, this was the debate to watch,” Earle-Sears spokesperson Peyton Vogel told Fox News Digital.

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“Abigail Spanberger couldn’t even look Lt. Governor Earle-Sears in the eye and confirmed she would not stand up to Jay Jones’ murderous and threatening rhetoric.”

“If she can’t lead her own group, she can’t lead the Commonwealth,” Vogel said.