One issue that is bringing together Republicans and Democrats is nuclear power.
During a televised debate at Norfolk State University, Democratic candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger said she agrees with Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin about one thing – nuclear power, a non-renewable source of energy that’s also carbon free. That means both candidates for governor support nuclear energy in Virginia.
"Concerns over nuclear go back to kind of the founding of the environmental movement in the 60s and 70s when these facilities were starting to be built," says Lee Francis at the League of Conservation Voters. "Today, I think the concern that we have are very real and pressing."
Concerns like pollution from radioactive waste. Stephen Haner at the Thomas Jefferson Institute says he wanted to hear more about gas power.
"Well, nuclear power came up on both sides, but natural gas did not," Haner says. "And so, I think there's still an issue there as to whether Abigail Spanberger would allow Dominion to build the natural gas plants that it wants to build."
In a written statement, Spanberger says that natural gas "will continue to be an important part of Virginia's energy mix."
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
