Cooper, Forest spar in only governor’s race debate over COVID-19, masks and schools
In their first and only debate, North Carolina incumbent Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest sparred over coronavirus response, masks, tax cuts and education.
The pandemic response dominated the first half of the debate Wednesday night, which also covered health care, education, protests, unemployment and systemic racism.
Forest, 53, and Cooper, 63, stood in UNC-TV’s studio with only moderator Wes Goforth and a few technicians. They were all divided by plexiglass barriers and had tested negative for COVID-19 before the debate.
In Cooper’s opening statement, he said the plexiglass was needed because of Forest’s numerous in-person campaign events without masks or social distancing that put people at risk, including an event the night before the debate.
That started a fast-paced hour-long debate, with several tense exchanges. While the two men have interacted for years as governor and lieutenant governor, this was their first head-to-head meeting in public.
Cooper defended his administration’s actions during the pandemic, saying science and data have guided his decisions, and they have helped save lives.
“Politicians like this who hold these in-person events and discourage masks, they’re part of the problem,” Cooper said. “They make it harder for us to ease our safety measures, harder for us to get our children back in school where they need to be. And harder for us to slow the spread of this virus.
At another point, Cooper told Forest, responding to his criticism of masks: “You cannot wish the pandemic away. It doesn’t work that way.”
Forest said he’s not trying to pretend the pandemic doesn’t exist.
“There’s no doubt there’s a pandemic and there’s no doubt it’s real,” he said.
But Forest said Cooper should have spent his efforts focusing on protecting the most vulnerable to the coronavirus pandemic — people living in nursing homes. About 40% of North Carolina’s 3,856 COVID-19 deaths have come from nursing homes, according to Wednesday’s data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
If elected, Forest said would focus on protecting those who are most vulnerable as well as helping healthy people “get their livelihoods back.”
The debate came the day before early voting starts. Early voting starts Oct. 15 and runs through Oct. 31. Absentee Absentee mail-in voting is underway. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Cooper has a comfortable lead in several recent polls. While devoting much of his campaign to the pandemic response, Forest’s campaigning has focused on the economic impact of coronavirus restrictions put in place by Cooper.
A considerable amount of time Wednesday night was spent on the subject of masks and face coverings. Cooper issued a statewide mask mandate in June, which follows recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Public health officials say masks, along with hand washing and social distancing, are key to preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Numerous studies show the effectiveness of masks, but Forest said he is not convinced they work and questioned the science of wearing masks. He did not cite evidence to explain his beliefs.
Forest, repeating a previous campaign statement, said he would lift the statewide mask mandate if he became governor.
Cooper came down hard on the masks issue, citing the need for restrictions to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
“Really Dan, really? Masks don’t work?” Cooper said.
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Education issues
Education, teacher salaries and school choice also generated heated responses from both candidates.
Forest said as soon as he is governor, he will reopen all K-12 public schools immediately for daily, full-time in-person instruction. Current rules allow elementary schools to fully reopen for in-person classes, and middle and high schools with restrictions. Decisions for specific plans are made at the local school district level.
Forest said private schools already have been open for several weeks. Private schools do not need to comply with the governor’s guidelines for public school districts.
On the subject of education, Cooper said Forest’s news conference calling to reopen all K-12 schools used children “as political pawns.”
The candidates also sparred over familiar education topics: vouchers for private school students, called opportunity scholarships, and raises for public school teachers.
Forest supports school choice and the vouchers. Cooper does not support vouchers. Forest said the Republican-led legislature has sent Cooper teacher raises in the budget, which Cooper vetoed. Cooper said the budget put corporations, and corporate tax cuts, over education funding.
Forest is a member of the state Board of Education, and Cooper said Forest had missed several meetings. Cooper called it “playing hooky.” Forest said he or his staff had attended board meetings when there was a vote.
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Coronavirus restrictions
Forest blamed Cooper’s coronavirus restrictions for unemployed North Carolinians, saying that Cooper laid them off and needs to give them their jobs back.
Cooper said North Carolina’s unemployment system is stingy, and blamed the legislature.
Both candidates were also asked about systemic racism. Cooper talked about the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody, and how protests called for action.
Forest condemned racism, but also said: “I don’t think there’s systemic racism. There is racism,” he said.
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This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 7:57 PM with the headline "Cooper, Forest spar in only governor’s race debate over COVID-19, masks and schools."
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