The exchange came when the moderator directly asked Spanberger if she would rescind Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 directive, which reversed prior guidelines allowing local school districts to set transgender student policies independently. Spanberger, a former CIA officer and three-term congresswoman, declined to give a definitive yes-or-no answer.

“My priority would be to ensure that local communities — importantly, parents, teachers, and educators — have a voice in making these decisions,” Spanberger said. “It shouldn’t be dictated by politicians in Richmond.”

Sears, Virginia’s lieutenant governor and the GOP nominee, immediately pressed her opponent. “That’s a yes or no!” Sears interjected sharply. “The girls need privacy, and this policy protects them. The question isn’t complicated.”

The moderator repeated the question, asking Spanberger to clarify whether she would rescind Youngkin’s rule. Spanberger reiterated her stance, emphasizing local decision-making and school safety. “The way that we keep our children safe is by ensuring they are safe in schools, which includes funding law enforcement and investing in student mental health,” she said.

The bathroom policy debate has become one of the most divisive issues in Virginia politics, symbolizing broader national conflicts over transgender rights, parental control, and local versus state authority in education. Youngkin’s administration has maintained that the current rules restore parental rights and protect privacy, while critics argue they discriminate against transgender students.

Sears, who has long aligned herself with Youngkin’s education agenda, used the moment to portray Spanberger as evasive and beholden to progressive activists. “Parents deserve straight answers,” Sears said. “We’re talking about common-sense rules that make sure boys stay in boys’ bathrooms and girls stay in girls’ bathrooms.”

Spanberger’s approach sought to balance competing pressures within the Democratic coalition — progressive voters who support transgender rights and moderate suburban parents who favor a focus on local control. “Decisions about students should be made by those who know them best — their parents and teachers — not politicians making one-size-fits-all mandates,” she said.

The debate, held at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, marked the candidates’ first major face-off ahead of November’s election. The race is seen as a bellwether for how issues of education, culture, and identity politics may shape the 2026 midterms nationally.

Throughout the night, both candidates returned to themes that have defined their campaigns. Sears emphasized public safety, traditional values, and economic opportunity, while Spanberger focused on bipartisanship, school funding, and restoring trust in government.

Political analysts noted that Spanberger’s refusal to take a clear position on the bathroom policy could become a focal point in the coming weeks. “It’s a calculated risk,” said political scientist Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington. “She’s trying to avoid alienating either side of a deeply polarized issue.”

The Virginia governor’s race remains competitive, with recent polls showing Spanberger holding a narrow lead within the margin of error. Both candidates are expected to continue appealing to suburban parents, a pivotal voting bloc that has swung recent elections in the state.