2025 People’s Debate canceled after Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears declines ‘due to scheduling conflict’

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The 2025 People's Debate, which was slated to be held by Virginia State University (VSU) and AARP Virginia in July, has been canceled after organizers said Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears declined the invitation "due to a scheduling conflict."

The debate, scheduled for Sept. 16 on VSU's campus, would have been held between Earle-Sears and Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, whose campaign accepted the invite in July.

Organizers said that Earle-Sears declined the invitation on Wednesday, Aug. 13, "due to a scheduling conflict."

In the aftermath, both VSU and AARP Virginia have shared their disappointment regarding the cancellation of the debate, which has traditionally been held by AARP Virginia for gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.

"We are very disappointed to learn that the gubernatorial debate scheduled to take place at Virginia State University in September has been canceled," said Dr. Gwen Williams-Dandridge, assistant vice president for communications. "This event would have been an exciting and valuable opportunity for our students to witness the democratic process firsthand and engage with issues that impact our communities. While we regret that they will not have this unique experience, we remain open and eager to host similar events in the future that connect our students to civic engagement and public discourse."

“Voters of all ages and from all backgrounds all across Virginia deserved the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates about what they would do on important issues, and the People’s Debate was their best chance to do that,” said AARP Virginia state director Jim Dau. “We’re disappointed that voters won’t be able to hear the candidates’ plans to rein in the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs, support family caregivers, and help our state’s most vulnerable people by improving the quality of nursing home care.”

Back in 2024, VSU was on a list of possible locations for a presidential debate hosted by then-President Joe Biden and then-former President Donald Trump. When Biden's campaign said he would not participate, and plans were scrapped, VSU expressed its disappointment.

On Wednesday, Aug. 13, Earle-Sears' campaign announced that the lieutenant governor had formally accepted an invitation to a CNN-hosted gubernatorial debate. Details are still not clear, but a report from CNN claimed the forum would take place in "late September or early October."