Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) declined to debate former Gov. George Allen (R-VA) over Virginia Democrats’ redistricting push, leading Allen to publicly criticize Spanberger on Friday.
As the Old Dominion gets closer to its April 21 special election on whether to redistrict the commonwealth in favor of four more Democratic House seats, the state’s current governor has been at odds with former Republican governors who are against the move.
Allen expressed he was “disappointed” to hear of Spanberger’s refusal and subsequently amended his request to ask Spanberger to participate in a one-hour, publicly-televised virtual debate.
“You choose the date. You choose the moderator,” Allen wrote in his follow-up letter to Spanberger. “A civil and reasoned discussion of the issues will benefit voters and will set a positive example of integrity and how public issues and policy can be discussed in our Commonwealth.”
Spanberger denied Allen’s request to debate on Wednesday, with her spokeswoman Libby Wiet telling the Richmond Times-Dispatch that the governor will instead focus on governing and bill review.
“Voters know the proposed map because the General Assembly has passed it. Voters know that this process preserves Virginia’s bipartisan commission for the next post-Census redistricting,” Wiet told the outlet.
While Spanberger has appeared in a video advertisement for the pro-redistricting campaign and also early-voted ‘yes’ on the measure, Allen and former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) have each voiced their opposition to what Youngkin called an “illegal power grab to gerrymander the Commonwealth.” Allen challenged Spanberger on Monday to a series of three public debates on the redistricting referendum.
“Virginia voters expect a robust and transparent discussion of the issues. So, I am inviting Governor Spanberger to join me in a series of public debates to look Virginians in the eye and explain each side of this referendum vote,” Allen said in a statement.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Spanberger for comment.
Early voting began on March 6 for the special election, with the official referendum date on April 21. The redistricting battle has faced several legal hurdles from Republicans who are challenging the move to give the commonwealth’s U.S. House delegation a 10-1 Democratic advantage, a push that came out of the Democratic-held General Assembly.
If Virginians vote in favor of the April referendum and the plan wins in the state court system, the state General Assembly can install its map for the 2026 midterm elections.
