Terry McAuliffe Blasts Glenn Youngkin’s Refusal to Attend VA Bar Association Debate as “an insult to Virginians and shows that Glenn knows just how out of step he is with the people of the Commonwealth”

MCLEAN, VA – Terry McAuliffe released the following statement regarding Glenn Youngkin’s refusal to participate in the Virginia Bar Association debate on July 24:

“Glenn Youngkin has spent his campaign embracing Donald Trump and trying to hide his true views from Virginia voters, so it’s no surprise he does not have the courage to face me at this debate and answer questions just as every Republican and Democratic nominee for governor has done since 1985. His refusal to participate in this debate is an insult to Virginians and shows that Glenn knows just how out of step he is with the people of the Commonwealth.

“Unfortunately, we already know the real truth about Glenn: we know he says Donald Trump ‘represents so much of why’ he’s running. We know he’s promised to ‘go on offense’ to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood. We know he has threatened funding for public schools. And we know that Glenn Youngkin will do anything to hide these views from Virginia voters because he has said so himself.

“Here’s what Virginians will always hear from me: I will do everything I can to create good paying jobs, address rising health care costs and ensure every Virginia child receives a world class education. I have the detailed policy plans and comprehensive experience delivering results for Virginians to get it done. We’ve done it before, and I know we’ll do it again.”

Terry McAuliffe has agreed to participate in a series of five general election debates, including the Virginia Bar Association Debate on July 24 moderated by Judy Woodruff, to speak directly with Virginians about his vision to create good jobs, build a stronger economy, and move the Commonwealth forward. The Virginia Bar Association has hosted a debate for every Virginia gubernatorial election since 1985, and both the Democratic and Republican nominees have always participated. Invitations for the General Election Debate, moderated by Judy Woodruff, were sent to all candidates by the Virginia Bar Association on February 12, 2021.

Terry has agreed to participate in the following five general election debates:

• Hot Springs, Virginia: Virginia Bar Association – July 24
• Hampton Roads: Norfolk State University
• Southwest Virginia: Appalachian School of Law
• Northern Virginia: Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, NBC4/Telemundo 44 and the Schar School of Public Policy and Government at George Mason University – September 28
• Richmond: AARP Virginia and WTVR – October 12

Since launching his campaign in December 2020, Terry has released 16 plans to strengthen Virginia’s education system and dramatically increase teacher pay, help secure Virginia’s economic recovery from COVID-19, reform our criminal justice system, ensure Virginians have access to regular nutritious meals, address the broken, predatory system of prescription drug pricing, confront the gun violence epidemic, make Virginia the best state in the nation for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health Care (STEM-H) and computer science education, tackle the housing crisis in the Commonwealth and invest in Virginia’s workforce in the post-COVID economy, ensure Virginians have access to high-quality, affordable health care, tackle climate change and secure Virginia’s clean energy future by 2035, lift up Black Virginians as the Commonwealth rebuilds from the COVID-19 pandemic, further advance LGBTQ+ rights, create a flourishing rural economy, support entrepreneurial ecosystems and tackle rising costs and meet the health care needs of all Virginians.