NORFOLK, Va. — Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) faced off in the first and only gubernatorial debate following a headline-grabbing controversy involving violent texts sent by the Democratic nominee for attorney general.

Jay Jones, who’s running to be the commonwealth’s top prosecutor, sent the texts back in 2022 after he left the state House. In the messages, which he sent to a Republican state lawmaker, he talks about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R).

The scandal, which erupted over the weekend after the texts were reported on by the National Review, has threatened to upend the governor’s race, which until now has been fairly low-key. Spanberger, who has held a strong lead over Earle-Sears in polling, quickly condemned Jones’s remarks. But all eyes were on her Thursday night to see if she would call on him to exit the race.

The debate, which was hosted by WAVY 10, an NBC affiliate owned by The Hill’s parent company Nexstar, was also marked by frequent interruptions. Earle-Sears sought to put her opponent on constant defense, leading to a raucous and sometimes bitter event.

Here are five takeaways from the heated Virginia gubernatorial debate:

Spanberger won’t say she backs Jones, but doesn’t call for him to exit

Thursday night put to rest the question of whether Spanberger would call on Jones to drop out of the race, at least for the time being.

At the beginning of the debate, the moderators asked Spanberger when she first knew about the texts and whether she still endorsed Jones. Spanberger said she found out about the texts when they were released publicly, but she would not directly answer the second question.

“The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent,” Spanberger said. “I denounced them when I learned of them and I will denounce them every opportunity that I get. As a mother, as a public servant, as a candidate for governor, I denounce them.” 

When pressed again by moderators over whether she would continue to support Jones, Spanberger said it was up to the voters. 

“The voters now have the information and it’s up to voters to make a choice based on this information,” Spanberger said, 

“We are all running out individual races,” she added. “It is up to every person to make their own decision.” 

Earle-Sears, for her part, repeatedly urged Spanberger to call on Jones to drop his bid. Every time, Spanberger stared ahead and refused to respond directly to her opponent on the subject.

Earle-Sears dominates the debate 

Earle-Sears came into Thursday night’s event needing a breakout moment — and she ran with the opportunity.

At nearly every turn, she interrupted Spanberger, slamming her over the Jones scandal and for her views on issues like transgender women in girls’ sports.

She repeatedly called Spanberger a liar and didn’t even allow the Democrat to finish her closing remarks without interrupting her.

“You said out of your own mouth!” Earle-Sears shouted over Spanberger at one point when the former congresswoman said she would not support providing sanctuary policies in the state.

“If you want to be federal, you should have stayed in Congress!” Earle-Sears yelled at another point, amid a discussion around whether parents should have a voice in what books are allowed in school classrooms.

The Republican candidate frequently tried to goad Spanberger, asking her questions and pressing her on various issues, such as abortion.

“My opponent…has the extremist view, which is abortion up until the very hour that the baby could be born, up until the very minute — the very minute. And so you would have a baby aborted on the table. What do we do then, Abigail?” she asked.

Spanberger said in the debate she supported abortion access as determined by Roe v. Wade.

The effect of Earle-Sears’s strategy was to keep her front and center throughout the hour-long event, so that nobody who watched it could walk away without a strong impression of her — one way or another. 

Moderators face a raucous debate

The debate was raucous throughout its hour-long runtime, marked by the Republican candidate’s repeated interjections.

Those moments frustrated the moderators at times, who repeatedly pressed Earle-Sears to stop speaking over Spanberger.

“Miss Earle-Sears, we’re not going to be able to get to as many topics if we keep having to give Miss Spanberger time and—” one of the moderators interjected after the Republican interrupted her opponent’s remarks at one point.

Earle-Sears replied that Spanberger was continuing to lie, adding, “I think I’m up to lie 12?” 

Trans issues, abortion become flashpoints

Both candidates were pressed on their stances on trans issues and abortion access, which have become cultural flashpoints in Virginia and beyond.

When asked whether she believed transgender women should be allowed to play on women’s sports teams and use women’s bathrooms at schools, Spanberger repeated the answer she’s given in the past. 

“I think it’s important that we have parents, teachers, and administrators making decisions about our schools,” she said. 

Republicans and Earle-Sears have hammered Spanberger over trans issues in schools, seemingly taking a page out of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) focus on cultural issues. 

But Earle-Sears was pressed by moderators on the issue of abortion, which Spanberger and Democrats have also hit her over. 

“So my position is that the Commonwealth needs to come together and figure out where it wants to be. It’s not going to be my view. It’s going to be a view of the majority,” Earle-Sears said what abortion limits she would advocate for, before pivoting to attacking Spanberger over her stance over the issue.

How much will it matter?

It’s unclear how much Thursday will matter for Virginia voters despite this being the one debate between the two gubernatorial candidates before next month’s election.

Early voting began on Sept. 19, meaning many Virginians have already cast their ballots for their preferred picks, though this forum could be helpful for voters who tuned into the race late.

It’s also unclear how the two candidates’ performances will impact the race. Many were watching to see how Spanberger would address the Jones scandal, though it’s not certain how much the issue will impact the results in November. And while Earle-Sears undoubtedly made an impression Thursday night, it’s also unclear how that will aid her at the ballot box when most polls show her rival with a substantial lead.

A polling average of surveys compiled by Decision Desk HQ on the race show Spanberger leading Earle-Sears at close to 51 percent over the Republicans’ 44 percent, meaning Earle-Sears still has some work to do to change the dynamic of the race.