Former Virginia governor challenges Spanberger to debate her redistricting flip-flop

Gov. George Allen, a Republican who served as governor from 1994 to 1998 between tenures in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, said in a statement that if the incumbent's ideas are right, she should publicly defend them.

"Virginia voters expect a robust and transparent discussion of the issues. So, I am inviting Governor Spanberger to join me in a series of public debates to look Virginians in the eye and explain each side of this referendum vote," Allen said.

"I am prepared to discuss why I oppose gerrymandering in Virginia and anywhere else in our nation."

Allen, whose father was one of the then-Washington Redskins' most successful coaches, said that people in Virginia are being "barraged" by political ads and that $28 million has been spent on commercials that "are at best misleading and designed to confused voters."

"Let's give Virginians the honest and transparent discussion of gerrymandering that they deserve," he said.

In that regard, the group No Gerrymandering Virginia, which is being spearheaded by a bipartisan group of former Virginia lawmakers and officials including Allen, sent a letter requesting such to Spanberger's office at the Capitol.

He added that gerrymandering is a personal subject, as part of his impetus to run for governor came when Albemarle County - where he owned a "log house on a gravel road" - was split into several pieces during one such redrawing.

No Gerrymandering Virginia's letter called the April 21 vote a "consequential moment for Virginia."

"Virginians deserve the opportunity to hear a clear and direct debate on this question before they vote."

"To that end, I would like to invite you to participate in a televised, live-streamed debate on the referendum. Former Governor George Allen has agreed to participate and would present the case against adopting the proposed maps. As you know, Governor Allen has long opposed gerrymandering, shaped in part by his experience being drawn out of his congressional district in the early 1990s, and he supported the 2020 constitutional amendment establishing Virginia's current fair redistricting process."

"Texas was wrong. California was wrong. North Carolina was wrong. Virginians should stand up for principle like those in Indiana and South Carolina who said 'No' to this egregious gerrymandering their states," he said, adding that the 2020 referendum that took power away from the assembly shows Virginia has "much better standards of fairness than this."

Allen is joined on No Gerrymandering Virginia's advisory council by former Virginia House Speaker William Howell, R-Stafford, former State Sen. Chap Peterson, D-Fairfax, and ex-Del. William Fralin, R-Roanoke.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spanberger for comment.