Sponsors for the UMW debate, according to UMW Professor Stephen Farnsworth, would have been UMW Student Government, the area Chamber of Commerce, The Free Lance–Star, the area League of Women Voters, and Virginia Public Media.
“For many years,” Farnsworth told The Free Lance–Star, “[Republican] Congressman Rob Wittman recognized the importance of debating his opponents in Fredericksburg, a key area population center. I worry, though, that there is an increasing willingness on the part of some candidates to forgo these important community events.”
