Huntington Mayor Steve Williams and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey will meet for a gubernatorial debate on Oct. 29. (Left photo: Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography. Right photo: Amelia Ferrell Knisely | West Virginia Watch)
West Virginia gubernatorial candidates Patrick Morrisey and Steve Williams will take part in a debate later this month, they confirmed in separate news releases Tuesday morning.
West Virginia Metronews will host the debate at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at Fairmont State University. Talkline host Hoppy Kercheval will moderate.
“I’m excited for the chance to speak directly to the people of West Virginia and share my plans for improving our state,” said Morrisey, a Republican. “This debate will be an important opportunity to highlight our proposals to cut taxes, create jobs, improve education, and help West Virginia compete better against the states we touch.”
Williams, Morrisey’s Democrat opponent, said in his news release he is grateful for the chance to debate critical issues facing the state.
“This debate is a chance for us to have an open and honest conversation about the future of West Virginia, and I look forward to engaging with Patrick Morrisey on the topics that matter most to our citizens — jobs, health care, education and building a brighter future for all West Virginians,” he said.
Kercheval said in an email Tuesday afternoon the event will be more like a forum than a traditional debate. No third-party or independent candidates will participate. There will be no in-person audience, but press will be allowed to attend, he said.
The event will be broadcast on MetroNews stations and video streamed on https://wvmetronews.com.
Williams had challenged Morrisey to a debate last month. A debate previously planned for Oct. 30 was called off. A spokesperson for Morrisey said at the time that details for that debate had not been agreed upon.
Morrisey, the state attorney general, is the favorite to win against Williams, mayor of Huntington. According to an August poll of registered voters, Morrisey held a 14% lead against Williams, with 49% of those polled saying they supported Morrisey compared to 35% for Williams.
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