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Politics, Virginia

Curren reissues debate challenge

Chris Graham

Remember how 20th District Republican nominee Dickie Bell told The News Virginian a couple of weeks ago that he was “a little disappointed” to have been informed by the news media that Democratic opponent Erik Curren wanted to schedule a series of debates for voters, and that he would talk to Curren to “work out some dates” for the debate series?

It appears that Bell hasn’t followed through on the talking-to-Curren part of what he told the NV.

“As of today, 11 days after the initial invitation, my campaign has received no response to my invitation directly from my opponent,” Curren said in a statement to the local news media this afternoon.

Curren then shot back at Bell on the talking-through-the-media point raised by Bell back in the July 31 NV story. “I know that he is new to this campaign, but I wonder if my opponent thought that letting me know through the media was sufficient?” Curren said in the statement, in which he also indicated that he repeated the debate invitation in a second letter sent to Bell by certified mail on Friday, Aug. 7.

Did you see Bell’s comments to the NV about Curren having a “liberal agenda” and the like? Curren clearly did, saying he looked forward to the debates as an “opportunity to provide voters with the chance to compare the views and experience of my opponent with my own.”

“I believe this will help voters decide for themselves whether they are willing to settle for the failed policies of the past and put their trust in rigid ideology and partisan buzzwords, or whether they will demand new ideas along with energetic, active representation in Richmond that will stand up for families and business in the Valley and Highland County,” Curren said.

 

– Story by Chris Graham

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].

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