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Columbus Day: Your guide to the top 5 political events today

Election season doesn’t stop for Columbus Day, and the action isn’t limited to the presidential contest. Here are your top five political events to watch this Columbus Day.

5. Senate showdown in Virginia

Evan Vucci/AP
Republican candidate George Allen, (r.), talks with Democratic candidate Tim Kaine after a Senatorial debate for the Virginia US Senate seat on Sept. 20 in McLean, Va. The former Virginia governors will debate on Monday; the event will be aired on television.

  • By David Grant Staff writer

One of America’s marquee Senate contests will have a statewide hearing in Richmond, Va., on Monday night.

A bit over an hour down the road from where Romney delivers his speech Monday afternoon, former Virginia governors Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) will square off in the first debate between the two aired statewide in prime time. While the two have met at a handful of debates before, none of those events had similar exposure.

If previous debates are any guide, Virginia voters are likely to see a tense showdown over defense spending and federal taxation, as well as a somewhat more subtle back-and-forth over which candidate has the right temperament to break through gridlock in the Senate.

Virginia will be a key state in both the race for the White House and control of the US Senate. With only one other debate slated before Election Day, Messrs. Allen and Kaine have a great deal at stake Monday night.

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Mark Sappenfield
Editor

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