First Debate For Virginia U.S. Senate Race Scheduled In NoVA

MCLEAN, VA — Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Warner and his Republican challenger Daniel Gade will face off in the first debate of the Virginia U.S. Senate race on Sept. 23. Hosted by the Tysons-based Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, it will be shown on NBC4 and be shown on NBC affiliates in Virginia at 7 p.m. Northern Virginia Chamber members can watch the debate live via Zoom.

Warner, the senior U.S. Senator representing Virginia, is up for reelection in November. First elected in 2008, he served as governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006. In his current Senate role, he is vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

Gade is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who had his leg amputated after serving in Iraq. He is now a professor at American University in DC. Both Warner and Gade live in Alexandria.

The moderator of the debate is Chuck Todd, NBC News political director and moderator of "Meet The Press." The debate will focus on issues facing Virginia voters and include a panel of NBC4 Washington and Telemundo 44 journalists asking questions. Among the participants are News4 Today anchor Aaron Gilchrist, News4 Northern Virginia Bureau Chief Julie Carey, and Telemundo 44 reporter Alberto Pimienta.

The debate is presented in partnership with NBC4 Washington, Telemundo 44, and George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government.

The U.S. Senate seat is one of the races on the ballot in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. For more information, visit the websites of the Virginia Department of Elections and your local election office.