RALEIGH – Gov. Roy Cooper and Lt. Gov. Dan Forest are set to participate in their only debate of the 2020 campaign on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The debate takes on heightened importance given the time frame, as record numbers of absentee by-mail ballots have been requested and the debate takes place 12 hours before in-person early voting begins.
Forest has said Cooper refused to participate in any other debates. In July, Forest tweeted that Cooper refused debate invitations from Spectrum News and Raleigh TV station WNCN, and it wasn’t until late August that both candidates accepted debates with the N.C. Association of Broadcasters.
In 2016, Cooper and former Gov. Pat McCrory met for three debates.
