HOW TO WATCH: Exclusive Virginia Gubernatorial Debate

Watch the pre-debate special at 6:30 p.m., the full live debate beginning at 7 p.m., and our post-debate live programming in the player above on Oct. 9.

NORFOLK, Va. (Nexstar) — The stage is set. Former U.S. Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will square off with current Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in their only scheduled live debate in the race for Virginia governor on Oct. 9.

Spanberger is the Democratic nominee and Earle-Sears is the Republican candidate on the Nov. 4 ballot. Regardless of who wins, it will be a historic election as Virginia will elect its first female governor.

The exclusive debate is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. from the campus of Norfolk State University. The debate will question the candidates on a wide range of issues impacting Virginians.

Two recent polls, from Emerson College Polling/The Hill and from Christopher Newport University’s Wason Center, show Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 52% to 42% among likely voters.

HOW TO WATCH

The debate, hosted by WAVY-TV 10, is being carried exclusively by all of Nexstar Media Group’s local television stations and digital platforms serving the Commonwealth, including WRIC-TV in Richmond, WFXR-TV in Roanoke, DC News Now/WDCW-TV in Washington, D.C., and WJHL-TV and EJHL-TV in Tri-Cities, TN.

The Virginia Gubernatorial Debate Partner Stations

Debate Night in Virginia begins at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9 with a countdown show on FOX43, WAVY.com and on WAVY’s FREE streaming app WAVY+. The debate itself will air live at 7 p.m. on WAVY TV 10, FOX43, CW Hampton Roads, WAVY.com and WAVY+. We’ll also provide a debate debrief live program at 8 p.m. available exclusively on WAVY+ and WAVY.com.