Virginia Senate debate canceled after Warner refuses to commit

Published September 10, 2026 1:04pm ET Updated September 10, 2026 9:04pm ET

Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) declined to commit to a debate against Virginia’s GOP Senate nominee, retired Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa, canceling the only debate on the calendar so far between the two nominees.

The three-term incumbent cited scheduling conflicts as the reason he declined AARP Virginia’s debate, which had been scheduled for Oct. 7 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond. Jim Dau, AARP Virginia state director, said the debate “would have been an opportunity for voters to hear the candidates’ plans around critical issues like protecting Social Security and supporting family caregivers.”