Brandon Jarvis from Virginia Scope and Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph Macon College, discuss the gubernatorial debate Thursday night. The audio is at the top of this newsletter.

Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin and Democratic nominee Terry McAuliffe met in Grundy, Virginia at the Appalachian School of Law for the Thursday night debate.

Both candidates continued the direct attacks that their campaigns have been waging throughout the summer. 

In this podcast that was recorded immediately after the debate, Meagher talks about who had the most to gain and whether he believes there was a winner. Plus much more analysis from the first of two televised gubernatorial debates.

Polling as recent as Thursday shows McAuliffe with a slight lead in the race. “Statistically speaking, the poll isn’t telling you that McAuliffe is going to win or Youngkin is going to lose. It is really saying it is a dead heat,” said Emerson College Polling Director Spencer Kimball. The Emerson poll showed McAuliffe with a four-point lead.