PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) -- There was a moment of levity when the Virginia gubernatorial candidates acknowledged more positive attributes of their political opponent, but the niceties were short-lived.

Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle-Sears took the debate stage on Thursday evening at Norfolk State University. The hour-long event was riddled with tension, clap backs and interruptions. Following its conclusion, and even during the debate, the candidates' social media pages were posting on X.

Keep reading to go through the highlights.

Some debate questions and contention stemmed from topics surrounding the LGBTQ+ community.

Spanberger posted a clip where she stated that the GOP nominee didn't think gay couples should be allowed to marry. Earle-Sears can be heard saying, "That's not dis

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