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WV attorney general candidates spar over debate

HUNTINGTON – Both candidates in West Virginia’s hotly contested race for attorney general say they are willing to meet for a debate, but it was unclear Tuesday how close the campaigns were to reaching an agreement on how to do that.

On Tuesday, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey challenged Democratic challenger Doug Reynolds via Twitter and through an email from Morrisey’s campaign to meet him at “high noon” Wednesday on the steps of the West Virginia Capitol after Reynolds said he would debate Morrisey “any time, any place” in a statement on Oct. 6 in response to a previous debate challenge from Morrisey.

Reynolds campaign spokeswoman Lynette Maselli said in a news release that campaign representatives had been in touch with West Virginia MetroNews about hosting a debate between the men, which would be moderated by Howard Monroe of WKKX in Wheeling and Hoppy Kercheval, host of MetroNews “Talkline.”

 “Patrick Morrisey called for a debate to be hosted by a neutral party,” Maselli said in the release. “MetroNews is a subsidiary of West Virginia Radio Corp., owned and operated by former Republican nominee for governor and U.S. Senate, John Raese. Therefore, the campaign feels that the presence of two moderators would ensure a fair debate on the issues facing West Virginia.”

The Herald-Dispatch reached out to West Virginia MetroNews for information regarding the status of negotiations for the debate and was referred to Morrisey’s campaign.

Morrisey campaign manager Kayla Berube said Morrisey had accepted a debate hosted by West Virginia MetroNews with Kercheval as the moderator and that Reynolds had backed out of that debate “because he wants to set his own terms, in violation of his promise.”

 Berube said Morrisey’s campaign had not heard back from Reynolds or his campaign staff in response to Morrisey’s challenge to debate at noon Wednesday.

Reynolds is the managing partner of HD Media, the holding company of The Herald-Dispatch and the Wayne County News.

See more from The Herald-Dispatch. 

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