Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Democrat Huntington Mayor Steve Williams released statements Tuesday that they will participate in a general gubernatorial debate on West Virginia MetroNews Oct. 29.
Scheduling was finalized after controversy last week around a canceled WOWK debate.
Williams’ campaign said they had proposed multiple debates, but that the Morrisey campaign was “resistant.” Morrisey’s campaign declined to comment.
Williams said he was “grateful” for the debate, prioritizing discussion of “jobs, healthcare, and education.”
Morrisey said he was “excited” for the debate, outlining plans to talk about tax cuts, job creation, and the Hope Scholarship, a funding avenue for school choice.
Hoppy Kercheval, the debate moderator, confirmed in an email to WVPB that the debate will be a round-table discussion, with him asking questions and follow-ups to the candidates. Rather than a traditional debate with time limits for each candidate, he said it will model a forum discussion without an audience.
Kercheval said the debate will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and be available to broadcast on multiple platforms including West Virginia Public Broadcasting. .