Election Debate News

What did candidates say on the debate stage? Read Election Debate News for debate schedules, key policy exchanges, candidate statements, fact checks, and post-debate reactions in presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and other major election contests.
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  • Virginia GOP Senate Candidates Duke It Out in Debate
    Quietly, Virginia is already voting for candidates looking for their party’s nomination at the end of our 45-day-long “voting season” on Aug. 4. This was that “temporary” measure designed to protect you from COVID-19 that now gets treated as if Abraham Lincoln himself had the idea turned into law. In any event, voting in the…
    Joe Thomas
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  • news

    Richmond Hosts the National Speech and Debate Tournament
    Over the course of this week, Richmond will ring with stirring oratory, as it has many times before. But this time it isn’t politicians or patriots who will be offering their opinions. The state capital is hosting the National Speech & Debate Tournament for the first time. The competition brings some 7,000 students from 1,500…
    Rich Tucker
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  • news

    Virginia Budget Debate Turns Public Amid Data Center Dispute
    THE CENTER SQUARE—Virginia budget negotiations spilled into public view last week as top Democrat leaders publicly clashed over data center policy ahead of the June 30 budget deadline. Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, publicly criticized Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger and House of Representatives leaders Friday as negotiations continued without a final agreement….
    Shirleen Guerra
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  • news

    ICE OFFICIAL: The Department of Homeland Security Is Funded After Monthslong Debate
    The House of Representatives passed the $70 billion party-line budget bill Republicans refer to as the Secure America Act. The Department of Homeland Security funding bill will now be sent to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it immediately Wednesday morning. House Republicans passed the bill Tuesday night, 214-212, with all…
    Virginia Grace McKinnon
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  • news

    7 States Uncovered Noncitizen Voter Registrations as SAVE Act Debate Heightens
    Just this year, at least seven states identified noncitizens on their voter registration lists. This comes as Congress continues to debate the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Several states obtained the names of noncitizens by cross-referencing the voter registration list with the…
    Fred Lucas
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  • news

    Collins, Dooley Spar During Debate
    THE CENTER SQUARE—Georgia Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley took a jab from U.S. Rep. Mike Collins on immigration, while Dooley took a swipe of his own, bringing up a House ethics inquiry into his competitor. The two fielded questions from each other and a panel of journalists in an Atlanta Press Club debate Sunday….
    Kim Jarrett
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  • opinion

    The Debate Over the Women’s Museum Was Never About Women
    “House Democrats oppose a bill for a Smithsonian women’s history museum.” This is not a sentence I ever expected to read. Aren’t Democrats supposed to be the feminists? The champions of inclusion? The self-appointed defenders of the “disadvantaged”? And on top of that, they are the ones who pushed for the women’s museum to begin…
    Anna Gustafson
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  • analysis

    Karen Bass Cancels Next Debate After Spencer Pratt Smackdown
    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has decided to skip out on the upcoming mayoral debate scheduled for Wednesday, according to debate organizers who posted on social media over the weekend. Campaign spokesman Alex Stack said Bass will instead travel to Sacramento, where she will be “fighting for critical state funding for housing, homelessness, and Palisades…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • news

    Spencer Pratt Rips Opponents During LA Mayoral Debate, Wins 88% Audience Approval
    In a two-hour mayoral debate hosted by NBC 4 Los Angeles, three candidates shared their views on how the nation’s second-largest city should manage its growing list of crises. But a post-debate poll showed one candidate emerged as the clear winner. The debate stage on Wednesday night featured two familiar local politicians, Mayor Karen Bass…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • analysis

    Democrats Attack Deportations at California Gubernatorial Debate
    “Would you push to deport undocumented farm workers?” CNN debate moderators asked this emotionally charged question to the seven California gubernatorial candidates Tuesday night. Democrats cited benefits to the economy and “racial profiling” as valid reasons to not push deportations.  Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton pushed back, emphasizing the importance of fairness for Californians…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • news

    California’s Largest Voting Bloc Isn’t Republican or Democrat—Should an Independent Be in the Debates?
    As Republican and Democrat candidates slug it out in debates to be California’s next governor, candidates who fit into the independent category continue to be shut out. In Tuesday night’s debate hosted by CBS News, the players on the stage included two Republicans and six Democrats—and zero independents. Elaine Culotti, an independent candidate who has…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • Pomona Debate 2026: The California Dream Is Dying—Clear Winners, Clear Losers
    Tuesday night’s chaotic California gubernatorial debate at Pomona College was marked by constant interruptions and deep voter frustration. Drew Allen, The Daily Signal’s California columnist, argues in today’s commentary that Republican Steve Hilton delivered the strongest performance by confronting Sacramento’s failures head-on, Matt Mahan stood out as the most pragmatic Democrat, while Xavier Becerra and…
    Drew Allen
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  • news

    Biggest Moments of Tuesday Night’s California Governor’s Debate
    California candidates faced off Tuesday night in the fourth major gubernatorial debate of the year. Here are the top 10 standout moments of the night. On Gas Prices:   Lightning Round: Each candidate said “yes” or “no” to a gas tax. Katie Porter interrupted Tom Steyer, accusing him of hypocrisy, alleging that he benefited from…
    Angelina Delfin
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  • opinion

    The California Governor Debate: ‘The Democrats Had No Solutions’
    The California gubernatorial debate went exactly how you would expect. Democrats deflecting blame and rerunning the same tired talking points instead of offering real solutions to California’s mounting list of problems. Climate sermons from private jet flyers, tax the rich rhetoric from billionaires, and homelessness solutions from leaders of failed cities who still think more…
    Drew Allen
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  • opinion

    Fantasy Land vs. Reality: California Debate Exposes One-Party Failure
    Wednesday’s California gubernatorial debate in San Francisco laid bare the results of 16 years of one-party Democrat rule: sky-high gas prices, tent cities, crumbling roads, and declining public safety, paired with little more than excuses and fantasies from the candidates. The four Democrats—Tom Steyer, the self-styled “anti-billionaire” billionaire; Katie Porter, the climate alarmist; Matt Mahan,…
    Drew Allen
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  • Jeffries Challenges Trump to a Debate After IQ Jabs
    House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., challenged President Donald Trump to a debate on Thursday. “If Donald Trump wants to debate me anytime, any place, in the Oval Office, publicly, on camera, I’d be happy to do it,” the Democrat said at a press conference. “We’ll see who’s intellectually superior.” Jeffries’ remarks came after Trump…
    Pedro Rodriguez
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  • opinion

    The Non-Debate on a Non-Crisis
    Is the United States committing superpower suicide? That was the question recently posed to Susan Rice and John Bolton at the University of Colorado. Both officials previously served as America’s ambassador to the United Nations and as National Security Advisor—Rice for Democratic Presidents, Bolton for Republican. As such, one would think that Ambassador Rice would…
    Robert Peters
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  • opinion

    California Gubernatorial Debate Canceled When Only White Candidates Made the Cut
    The University of Southern California canceled its gubernatorial debate 24 hours before it was to start. Why? The six candidates who qualified under polling and fundraising metrics were—gasp!—all white. Democrat candidates of color immediately accused USC of excluding “candidates of color.” Mind you, their platforms—on housing, crime, homelessness, taxes, etc.—are virtually indistinguishable. Is there a…
    Larry Elder
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  • opinion

    California’s DEI Obsession Derails Democrat Primary Debate
    It’s amazing how much California does these days to roll into its stereotype as a dysfunctional, woke-ified political wasteland. On Tuesday, the University of Southern California canceled its scheduled gubernatorial debate after several top Democrats reportedly waged a pressure campaign to put a halt to it. The field is currently wide open with Democrat Gov….
    Jarrett Stepman
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  • news

    Judiciary Committee Debates Bill Against Lawsuit ‘Investors’
    The House Judiciary Committee is debating a bill that supporters say sheds light on dark money in the judicial system, but detractors say intimidates ordinary Americans who donate to nonprofits. The Litigation Transparency Act, introduced by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., will undergo markups this week. If the bill became law, parties in civil cases would…
    George Caldwell
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