Correction (Sept. 12): The dates listed for Candidates Anderson and Vindman are not all debates. We have updated the information to reflect whether they are debates or forums. Debates allow candidates to answer questions and respond to their opponent’s comments. Forums are typically statements with no back-and-forth between candidates. Anderson has previously agreed to participate in six debates; Vindman has agreed to participate in one debate at University of Mary Washington. Vindman previously declined a televised debate hosted by ABC news.
As election season heats up, Virginia’s candidates for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives District 7 have announced their debate schedules.
The race for Virginia’s Senate is between incumbent Tim Kaine (D) and Hung Cao (R).
Kaine, a Richmond resident, practiced law in Richmond before being elected to the Richmond City Council in 1994, then elected Mayor in 1998, and served Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and Governor from 2006 to 2010. Kaine was elected to the Senate in 2012. Kaine is a member of the Armed Services, Budget, Foreign Relations, and other Senate Committees.
Cao moved to Virginia as a child refugee from Vietnam in 1975 and graduated from Alexandria’s Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He served as a Special Operations Officer in the Navy and with Special Forces overseas. Cao has worked at the Pentagon, with the FBI, and with Homeland Security. He and his family now live in Purcellville.
Both candidates have agreed to participate in a debate on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at Norfolk State University. The debate will be televised state-wide. There were initially three proposed debates, two of which Cao declined.
The race for District 7 is between Derrick Anderson (R) and Eugene Vindman (D).
Anderson, who grew up in Spotsylvania and graduated from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech), served in the U.S. Army and as a leader of the Green Berets. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, Anderson also served in the White House under President Trump’s administration. Anderson is currently a Major in the U.S. Army National Guard.
Vindman moved to New York as a child refugee from Soviet Ukraine in 1979. He grew up in New York and enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Bingham University. He earned a law degree and served in the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps where he was assigned to the Pentagon and moved to Dale City. Vindman and his brother raised concerns about a 2019 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which became a key element in the President’s impeachment inquiry.
As of Sept. 9, Vindman and Anderson will meet in four debates.
Monday, Sept. 16, Forum hosted by Fredericksburg Free Press
Tuesday Sept. 17, Forum hosted by Coalition for Action
Wednesday, Oct. 2, Debate hosted by University of Mary Washington
Monday, Oct. 7, Forum hosted by ARC of Northern Virginia
All four candidates have participated in our ongoing Candidate Survey Series, where we ask one question each week and share their responses with readers. Week three’s question tackling border security will be published on Wednesday, Sept. 11
