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McAuliffe hits Youngkin over debates

Chris Graham
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Terry McAuliffe is trying to win the debate over debates, raising issue with the reported refusal of Republican opponent Glenn Youngkin declining an invite to participate in a July 24 debate being hosted by the Virginia Bar Association.

“Glenn Youngkin’s refusal to agree to join me in one of Virginia’s most time-honored traditions, the Virginia Bar Association debate, is an insult to the people of the Commonwealth,” said McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee and former governor. “Youngkin doesn’t want to face me and speak directly to Virginians at a debate because he doesn’t want to answer questions about his record of sending jobs overseas, his threats to funding for public education, his extreme anti-abortion agenda or the fact that he is Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate.

“I am running for governor to create good paying jobs, address rising health care costs, and ensure every Virginia child receives a world-class education. If Glenn Youngkin wants to represent Virginians, he needs to be willing to take tough questions about his extreme agenda and lack of plans and face his opponent in a debate,” McAuliffe said.

Few watch these debates, of course, though they do generate headlines, also likely viewed by few, especially months from Election Day.

The two have at this point agreed to only one debate, at the Appalachian School of Law, at a date either in August or September.

We’ll still have the election either way.

Story by Chris Graham

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

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