Once again, Virginia State University was left hanging by a politician during an election season.

The People’s Debate, sponsored by AARP Virginia and set for Sept. 16 at Virginia State University, was canceled after Republican nominee Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears cited a scheduling conflict. Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger’s campaign had accepted the invitation in July. 

Ok, I think we all realize the business of campaigning can get a bit hectic. You’re shaking hands here, listening and nodding your head there and riding in cars, planes and trains. But you’d think whoever you’re dealing with on a given day, knows what you’re doing and should be able to excuse an absence to debate your opponent in the gubernatorial election. But, perhaps our lieutenant governor wants to be a woman of her word and being at VSU in mid-September would conflict with that. Well, that’s her story, anyway. 

Officials at VSU weren’t happy to hear that Earle-Sears remembered last week that she had something else to do on that date. 

“We are very disappointed to learn that the gubernatorial debate scheduled to take place at Virginia State University in September has been canceled,” said Gwen Williams-Dandridge, assistant vice president for communications. “This event would have been an exciting and valuable opportunity for our students to witness the democratic process firsthand and engage with issues that impact our communities.” 

Yes, it’s a missed opportunity. One that brings to mind the recent cancellation of the presidential debate at the university. The school had been selected in November 2023 to host what would have been the first presidential debate at an HBCU, scheduled for October 1, 2024. That debate was later canceled after presidential candidates Biden and Trump agreed to limit their debates to two, leaving VSU off the schedule. 

A tough break for the school and for voters. This isn’t the first time this has happened on the campaign trail. Another opportunity for the gubernatorial candidates to meet, the Virginia Bar Association debate, originally scheduled for July 19, was also canceled after neither candidate met the June 9 acceptance deadline. A CNN-hosted debate remains in flux after Spanberger declined to participate, last week, preferring a Virginia- centric discussion. 

The opposing campaign offered an alternative reasoning: “Abigail Spanberger turning down a CNN debate is beyond absurd. It’s proof she’s terrified of facing voters in an unscripted setting,” said Peyton Vogel, press secretary of the Earle-Sears campaign. 

Well, it appears we will get a chance to see about that. This week, Spanberger agreed to debate her opponent, who has already signed on, at another Virginia HBCU 

“Abigail is prepared and ready to debate the issues at Norfolk State University, outline her vision for putting Virginians first, and make clear that her opponent is far too extreme for the Commonwealth.,” said Samson Signori, Spanberger’s campaign manager. 

VSU has now been jilted twice, as Norfolk State University has been deemed a more appropriate suitor by both campaigns. Maybe it’s the Coach Michael Vick factor? That’s probably why ESPN recently announced the filming of an episode of “First Take,” on campus in the coming weeks. If you haven’t watched “First Take,” it’s that sports talk show that features people yelling at each other. Not exactly a debate, but it draws an audience. 

We hope VSU gets its moment to shine on the political stage soon. These squandered opportunities weren’t about the school’s readiness or suitability — they vanished because of political whims and last-minute excuses. The university deserves better and so do voters, who are left with fewer chances to see candidates defend their positions.