BILLY SHIELDS: Republican State Senator John McGuire and Democratic activist Gloria Witt took the stage at Hampden-Sydney College, sparring over the economy and immigration.

Until about a half hour in when Witt mentioned McGuire's involvement in January 6th.

GLORIA WITT: I know he made himself available for the January 6th insurrection.

He was there at the Capitol.

I don't know what his purpose was, but he was definitely on the grounds.

JOHN McGUIRE: If I'm at D.C., you know, using my, constitutional rights to be heard, there's nothing wrong with that.

BILLY SHIELDS: Both candidates also took different stances on the legitimacy of the elections, Witt promised to accept the election results.

GLORIA WITT: This is what got me off the bench to start with.

Our democracy is under attack.

BILLY SHIELDS: McGuire took issue with Virginia's early voting, which began in 2020.

JOHN McGUIRE: If you think about this, we had this pandemic, Some people call it the “plandemic.” GLORIA WITT: Oh, Now listen up, under the guise of the plandemic, or the pandemic, they came up with election season in Virginia.

Not Election Day, but 45 days.

BILLY SHIELDS: Virginia State Board of Elections recommended expanding early voting to 45 days in November 2019.

That change went into effect in July 2020.

The 5th Congressional District is a rural area that includes Goochland and Lynchburg.

Incumbent representative Bob Good lost the Republican nomination here after hesitating to endorse Donald Trump.

Early voting is underway in Virginia and Election Day is November 5th.

Billy Shields, VPM News.