AARP Virginia Cancels The 2026 People’s Debate

RICHMOND  AARP Virginia announced today that it has canceled The People’s Debate, which was scheduled for Oct. 7 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond. AARP Virginia has traditionally sponsored The People’s Debate, the most widely broadcast television debate in Virginia, for gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.

The campaign of Democratic nominee U.S. Sen. Mark Warner was unable to commit to participating in the event, citing an unsettled and expectedly busy official Senate calendar. Republican nominee retired Army Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa previously accepted AARP Virginia’s invitation to The People’s Debate.

“While we are disappointed that Senator Warner could not commit, we appreciate General Mizusawa’s commitment to participate in the debate,” said AARP Virginia State Director Jim Dau.

“Voters should be able to hear directly from candidates about where they stand on the issues that matter to them. The People’s Debate would have been an opportunity for voters to hear the candidates’ plans around critical issues like protecting Social Security and supporting family caregivers.”

Since 2006, AARP Virginia and Richmond’s CBS 6 (WTVR-TV) have held The People’s Debate for statewide election races. The debate is distributed free to broadcasters statewide to make it available to voters across Virginia. Past debates have been broadcast live in every television market in Virginia and carried by C-SPAN, as well as streamed on the CNN and Washington Post websites and the websites of numerous Virginia-based news organizations.

“As we’ve done for years, AARP Virginia will continue our nonpartisan efforts to elevate the voices of voters in the Commonwealth and help ensure that candidates hear them,” said Dau.

With about 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people over 50 and their families in the Commonwealth. To learn more about how AARP Virginia is working in your community, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on X at www.X.com/aarpva.