One night after a televised vice presidential debate drew 43 million viewers, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) took the debate stage to square off with the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, a retired Navy captain, Hung Cao.
The NewsNation debate was held at Norfolk State University, a historically black college just over 100 miles southeast of the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. The debate was moderated by WRIC’s Deanna Allbrittin and Tom Schaad from WAVY-TV and Fox 43.
The moderators kicked off the event by asking the candidates how they would negotiate a settlement between the International Longshoreman Association, whose 45,000 dockworkers went on strike Tuesday, and the United States Maritime Alliance, representing an association of terminal operators and ocean carriers in the shipping industry.
Both candidates dodged the question, even as Allbrittin pushed both for a clear answer. Kaine eventually said the dockworkers’ pay should be increased from its now-expired 2018 contract.
The nearby Hampton Roads metropolitan area is home to the Port of Virginia, the East Coast’s second-biggest port by tonnage. It is also home to the biggest naval base in the world.
The White House released a statement Tuesday supporting the dockworkers, saying “It is time for USMX to negotiate a fair contract with the longshoremen that reflects the substantial contribution they’ve been making to our economic comeback.”
When pressed by moderators if he supports amnesty to illegal immigrants already in the country, Kaine said “I’ve never supported amnesty.” Kaine has supported immigration policies that provide legal status, or a path to citizenship, for groups such as Dreamers.
Cao made clear that he supports former President Donald Trump’s tariff proposals and wants to “unleash” American energy. Meanwhile, Kaine wants to invest in clean energy.
The topics later shifted to gun control, with Kaine affirming that he doesn’t want mandatory gun buybacks.
Asked if he supports sending parents to prison if their children use their guns to commit a crime, Cao says he does but said “you can’t legislate morality,” adding about a need for mental health counselors in schools and doing background checks on illegal immigrants.
Kaine had previously served as Governor of Virginia for one term and he was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election. He is seeking his third consecutive term as U.S. Senator.
Cao has never served in public office. His 2022 bid for Congress against incumbent Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton in Virginia’s 10th congressional district fell short by 6.5 percentage points.
FiveThirtyEight’s polling average has Kaine leading Cao by 10.9 points as of Oct. 2.
Early voting has been underway in the state since Sept. 20, with 346,774 ballots already cast by Oct. 1.