ROANOKE, Va – With just weeks until Virginia voters head to the polls, the two men running to be the next governor wasted no time during their last debate Tuesday night.
Main issues include COVID-19 and where Terry McAuliffe and Glenn Youngkin stand on vaccine mandates.
“We cannot move this economy forward and keep our schools open if we’re not getting our folks vaccinated,” Democratic Candidate McAuliffe said.
“I in fact have asked everyone in Virginia to please get the vaccine, but I don’t think we should mandate it,” Republican Candidate Glenn Youngkin said. Other important topics - women’s reproductive rights, and where each candidate stands on abortion.
“I also believe that a pain threshold bill is one like the one in Congress that we could and should support,” Youngkin said.
“I was a brick wall to protect women’s rights when I was governor they tried to shut the 16 Women’s clinics down and had I not got elected in 2013, there would not be a woman’s clinic open today,” McAuliffe said.
Teaching Virginia’s complicated confederate history in schools was also an issue the candidates stood divided on.
“Teaching our children about racism in our schools is a real challenge I think we recognize that Virginia in America has chapters that are abhorrent we also have great chapters,” Youngkin said.
“I banned the Confederate flag from the Virginia license plates. I think it’s important that we send a message that our state is open and welcoming,” McAuliffe said.
As McAuliffe and Youngkin make their final pushes to the polls, each one reminding Virginians of the importance and high stakes of the upcoming election.