Perdue to skip another Wilmington debate

It looks like a candidate for Governor will skip a second debate in the Port City this year.

Democrat Bev Perdue visited nursing students at UNC Wilmington yesterday and checked out a nursing lab. But the Lieutenant Governor apparently will not come to Wilmington October 24 for a candidate forum co-sponsored by WWAY and the Big Talker FM.

Perdue and her primary opponent Richard Moore both skipped a candidate forum here in April. Her opponent in the general election, Republican Pat McCrory, has criticized Perdue for not agreeing to a statewide televised debate either. Perdue said five scheduled debates in other parts of the state and video of them online are enough.

"As the debate happened last week in Durham, you could watch it (on-line) in time," Perdue said. "The issues that are being discussed in all of the debates, as far as I have any say-so over what the questions are, and the candidates don't, are generic to the entire state."

Perdue and McCrory participated in a debate hosted by the North Carolina Bar Association June 21 in Atlantic Beach and at the studio of WTVD in Durham August 19. They have three more debates scheduled: September 9 at WRAL in Raleigh; the Public School Forum in Cary September 19; and a debate sponsored by the Charlotte League of Women Voters, WSOC and WTVI in Charlotte October 15.

McCrory and Libertarian candidate Michael Munger have agreed to attend our candidate forum. McCrory brings his campaign to our area Thursday with scheduled stops in Brunswick and Columbus Counties.