Watch the debate in full at the player above
NORFOLK, Va. (Nexstar) — Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican challenger Hung Cao faced off in a live, televised debate on Wednesday night.
The debate, the only one scheduled between the candidates from now until Election Day, started at 7 p.m. from the campus of Norfolk State University, and went until 8 p.m.
The exclusive debate from Nexstar Media Group was streamed here online, televised on Virginia’s Nexstar stations, and simulcast nationwide via Nexstar’s cable news network, NewsNation.
Watch the full post-debate show below
Cao, a U.S. Navy special operations veteran, looked to gain some ground in the race, after a recent poll from Emerson College had him down 10 points. Kaine, who’s running for a third term, has been a senator since 2013, after previously serving as Virginia’s governor from 2006 to 2010.
Check out some of the highlights from the debate below and on X/Twitter:
Certifying Election Results
Question: Mr. Cao, there any circumstances under which you would not certify the election results if Vice President Kamala Harris won the election?
Question: Mr. Kaine, there any circumstances under which you would not certify the election results if former President Donald Trump won the election?
Topic: Immigration
Question: Do you support mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants?
Mr. Cao did not clarify his stance, but said: “if you came here illegally, you are basically screwing up the whole system.”
“There are people that are waiting in line like my family for seven years for their naturalization papers. So you cannot jump the line. You go to Costco and you jump the line, what do you think’s going to happen? That’s the thing, you can’t come here and expect the American dream and if you are not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture.”
Question: Would you support granting amnesty to [undocumented immigrants] already in the country today?
Mr. Kaine pointed to his work to try to help Dreamers and said “as soon as we Republicans that are willing to work for commonsense immigration reform, we can keep folks from coming here illegally, and we can also have the workforce America needs because we won’t have it without immigration reform.”
When asked to clarify his stance, Kaine said “I’ve never supported amnesty.”
Topic: The Economy
Question: What specific policy would the candidates prioritize to bring down costs?
Mr. Cao says the U.S. needs to be “unleashing all the energy we can get in order to bring forth forth American power,” and says there needs to be a focus on nuclear energy.
Cao implied that he also supports former President Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported items, a method meant to protect domestic producers that economists say will also raise costs for consumers and companies that rely on imports.
“And what we need to do is not tax our industry here,” Cao said. “What we need to do his tax other countries bringing in goods because our people are getting taxed here and when they bring abroad as well.”
Mr. Kaine said he supports nuclear, natural gas, wind and solar, the latter of which is “making a huge difference in the economy right here in Hampton Roads.”
He says Virginia and the U.S. should continue to invest in “clean energy that’s affordable.”
“Let’s continue to bring down the cost of prescription drugs for seniors,” Kaine added. “Let’s continue to provide American adults with relief from student loan debts. That is three things that I have done. My opponent has opposed all three of those things.”
Kaine added that “Trump tariffs would be a massive tax that would cause prices on all these items that are imported to go up.”
Topic: Crisis in the Middle East
Mr. Kaine: “First, I do not believe it would not be a good idea for the U.S. to be in another war in the Middle East,” Kaine said. “I’ve we’ve learned one thing from 2001 to 2021, we should be supporting our allies. But we should resist any effort by anyone to get the U.S. in another war in the Middle East.” Kaine added that the U.S. needs to continue to support Israel.
Mr. Cao said the U.S. has to stand by Israel, and says the U.S. can’t hold back sending things like offensive weaponry to Israel. He says Israel wants to fight its own battles and “would never ask for American troops.” “They have fought their own battles and they want support from us,” Cao said.
Topic: U.S. ports strike
When asked “what a good deal mean for you,” Mr. Cao says the issue relates to the current state of the economy, asking “are you better off today than you were four years ago?” He also said he believes the U.S. spends too much to help undocumented immigrants.
Mr. Kaine said he was on the phone earlier in the day with the acting secretary of labor, and said they’re “narrowing the differences” and a deal should be made soon. He said the terms, wages, etc. for the dockworkers needs to updated to “circa 2024.” Kaine also pointed out that four years ago, the country was in the middle of COVID.
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Early voting in Virginia meanwhile has already begun, and goes through Nov. 2. Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5.