As U.S. Senator Joe Manchin(D) and West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey(R) have campaigned against one another, there have been plenty of disagreements.  The latest has spawned a debate over when or if the two will debate each other.

Over the past month, both campaigns have issued news releases about a number of different debates the two have accepted invitations to.  For the most part, however, those acceptances haven’t matched one another.

In August, Manchin accepted an invitation to debate Morrisey on October 14 at Olgebay Resort in Wheeling.  Morrisey did not agree to that debate and it has since been canceled.

Meanwhile, Morrisey has agreed to three other debates: once on October 9, sponsored by the West Virginia Press Association, a Charleston TV station and AARP; another on October 15, hosted by the TV stations in West Virginia owned by Nexstar Broadcasting, which includes WBOY; and one on November 1, sponsored by the West Virginia Broadcasters Association, of which WBOY is also a member.

To date, Manchin’s campaign has not agreed to either of the first two debates, but has agreed to the November 1 event, leaving it, at the moment, as the only one that both have agreed to.

Each candidate has issued statements calling out the other for not agreeing to the debates in question.

Manchin statement:

“It’s really a shame that Pat Morrisey doesn’t have the guts to face local journalists and answer questions about his lawsuit to take away coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, his career as a Washington lobbyist for the opioid industry, or his efforts to put educators in jail,” said Senator Joe Manchin. “I don’t know how they do it in New Jersey, but West Virginia deserves answers from Pat Morrisey. He can dodge debates, but he can’t run from his record.”

Morrisey statement:

“Given Joe Manchin’s utter disrespect for West Virginia gun owners and record of partnering with Obama to restrict the Second Amendment, voters deserve answers,” said Attorney General Patrick Morrisey. “Whether it is opposing our Second Amendment, sending taxpayer dollars to abortion provider Planned Parenthood, or opposing President Trump, Joe Manchin has proven to have lost touch with our West Virginia values.”