Senate candidate Robert Sarvis reacts to Warner debate announcement

Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate Robert Sarvis released the following statement in response to Democrat Mark Warner’s announcement supporting the inclusion of Sarvis in future debates:

“It’s better late than never for Mark Warner to support a real debate among all the candidates on the ballot. Unfortunately, Warner only supported my inclusion in the debates after I called out both my opponents for colluding to keep me out of the debates.

“My campaign has already provided a glimpse of what a real debate with Mark Warner would look like when I exposed his votes for the so-called Patriot Act and against reforms to better protect our liberties. I appreciate Mark Warner’s public support for my inclusion in the debates so we can have an extensive debate on these and other vital issues.

“I hope my Republican opponent Ed Gillespie will prove willing to defend his record as well.

“Virginians deserve an independent voice in the debates. Last year, I received over 145,000 votes of Virginians tired of partisanship and ideology. This year, my campaign collected over 19,000 signatures just to get on the ballot, and we are prepared to send to debate hosts over 1,000 signatures of voters who have specifically demanded my presence in the debates.”