Many here expressed hope that because the candidates are professors at a small college that places teaching above research rather than political professionals, they will avoid the typical scorched-earth campaigning.

“I’m hoping both Dave and I can help position this as a unique kind of campaign situation, where both our commitments to serving our community and the value of education can mesh with well-run political campaigns, and may the best man win,” Mr. Trammell said.

While both candidates polish their political talking points in private, their academic work has drawn scrutiny for evidence of their views, which, despite the collegiality of the basketball court, are drastically different. Mr. Trammell’s most recent book, “The Richmond Slave Trade: The Economic Backbone of the Old Dominion,” contrasts with Mr. Brat’s view that Christian ethics go hand in hand with free-market capitalism.

Mr. Brat’s academic work has drawn particular interest because he is seen as the odds-on favorite in a heavily Republican district. Religious ethics rarely enter into mainstream economic theory, but they are topics that Mr. Brat, who describes himself in his writing as a Calvinist, has turned to repeatedly. In a 2011 article, “God and Advanced Mammon — Can Theological Types Handle Usury and Capitalism?” published in a journal of religion, Mr. Brat questioned whether Christianity could be reconciled with government programs.

“Are you willing to force someone you know to pay for the benefits for one of your neighbors?” he asked. “Very few Christians I know are willing to say ‘yes’ to this question.”

In the same essay, he argued: “If we make all of the people good, markets will be good. If markets are bad, which they are, that means people are bad, which they are. Want good markets? Change the people.”