Letter to the editor: If Warner’s proud of his record, he should debate Mizusawa

OPINION:

While incumbent Sen. Mark Warner appears to be dodging debates, his opponent, Bert Mizusawa, a retired U.S. Army major general, Silver Star recipient and former senior federal executive, is approaching his campaign the way he approached his career: all in.

Last weekend, Mr. Mizusawa and his wife, Amy, hosted Fairfax County high school seniors who are studying his candidacy in an Advanced Placement government class. One student who attended told me that he is looking forward to the class debate at the end of the month, where his group will represent Mr. Mizusawa’s platform, “because at least Senator Warner can’t hide from this one.”

Virginians deserve to know more about the senator they are about to elect. Yet Mr. Warner has not agreed to debate Mr. Mizusawa, passing on AARP Virginia’s “The People’s Debate,” the League of Women Voters debate and, so far, the ABC13/University of Lynchburg debate.

By contrast, Mr. Mizusawa spent 90 minutes in his living room last weekend answering the students’ questions about how he would make life more affordable for Virginians, balance the budget, reduce the national debt and invest in nuclear energy, as well as his philosophy of leadership. That is what transparency and leadership look like.

If Sen. Warner is confident in his record, then he should be willing to defend it on a debate stage.

STEPHANIE LUNDQUIST-ARORA

Springfield Virginia