Liberty University’s Center for Law & Government partnered with Hampton University’s Center for Public Policy and the Virginia Association of Broadcasters to provide two Town Halls featuring the main contenders for Virginia’s U.S. Senate seat, incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine and challenger Corey Stewart.
The events, held on Sept. 20 at Liberty’s Center for Music and the Worship Arts and Oct. 3 at Hampton’s Convocation Center, were broadcast live throughout the commonwealth. Both events were open to the public and involved question-and-answer sessions from the moderators and students.
Liberty’s event was moderated by Mark Spain, news anchor for WSET, and Len Stevens, Liberty’s executive director of External Communications. Fifty students were seated on the stage, and several of them posed questions to the candidates. A wide range of topics was covered, centering primarily on domestic issues that affect Virginia and the nation. Candidates answered questions on then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, allegations of Russian collusion in the presidential election, abortion, tax plans, healthcare, the national debt, immigration, gun safety, ensuring jobs for college graduates, preserving historical monuments, and more.
The Town Hall was the latest in a string of televised political events held on LU’s campus. Liberty hosted the Virginia GOP gubernatorial debate in April 2017 and the Republican primary debate for U.S. Senate this past April.
More than 20 Liberty students traveled to Hampton for the second event, along with faculty and staff members. Les Smith, anchor at WTKR, and April Woodard, journalism professor at Hampton and host at WTKR, moderated the event. Topics ranged from foreign policy to military and defense.
