West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican candidate for governor, says he is open to participating in a debate against the Democratic candidate, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams.
“There will be some discussions in the days and weeks ahead, and I look forward to it because I think there’ll be a real contrast in terms of experience and vision,” Morrisey said Friday on “Talk of the Town” on WAJR.
No date, moderator or venue has been set for the potential Morrisey and Williams matchup. Those details are still developing.
Morrisey said he has been willing to debate throughout his political career, including during the most recent primary election.
“And so I think that’s important. So I’m excited about it, and we’re going to have a discussion with some people, and let’s see what happens in terms of timing of it,” Morrisey said in the radio interview. “But we definitely are engaged, and I think I can say fairly safely there will be a debate.”
Williams offered a debate challenge on Thursday.
Williams’ campaign highlighted the critical need for voters to hear from the candidates directly on the most pressing issues, from public safety and education to economic development and the opioid epidemic that continues to devastate West Virginia.
“West Virginians deserve a leader who isn’t afraid to answer tough questions,” Williams stated in a news release.
The most recent MetroNews West Virginia Poll showed Morrisey with a solid lead.
Morrisey is leading Williams, 49% to 35%, in the race for governor. The remainder preferred another candidate or were not sure.
The Libertarian Party candidate for governor, Buckhannon attorney Erika Kolenich, has also wanted in on a debate.
“It has been over a decade since the duopoly has permitted a third-party candidate to the gubernatorial debate,” Kolenich said in a press release Thursday. “If a candidate is qualified to be on the ballot for governor, they should be heard. Now is the time, West Virginia!”
Ballots for West Virginia governor will also include former Delegate Marshall Wilson of the Constitution Party and Chase Linko-Looper of the Mountain Party.
Morrisey said a third-party candidate for governor should be considered for debate participation if it’s clear that they already have significant voter support — “if you’re drawing a certain number in the polls because otherwise things get pretty unwieldy.
“Look, if someone’s drawing 15% of the vote, yeah they should probably participate. But you know, you want to focus. If you have an hour, hour and a half, you want to focus on the folks who are going to be the most likely choices.”
