OLYMPIA, Wash. — The candidates for Washington Governor will meet in a debate at TVW next Wednesday, and it will be in circumstances shaped by the coronavirus pandemic.
The four moderators will be socially distanced. Unlike the presidential debate on Tuesday, the candidates will not be in the same room as the moderators.
Inslee and Culp will each be alone with a TV camera in separate rooms outside the studio. That’s in large part because the candidates have different approaches to coronavirus safety.
Inslee wears a mask for nearly all his public appearances. He urges everyone to do so and has mandated masks inside public spaces.
By contrast, Culp is running against the mask mandates, holding rallies that hundreds of people attend without wearing masks, similar to rallies President Donald Trump has held.
Culp explained earlier this week, “Citizens of America, citizens of Washington, we are free Americans, right? There are far too many flag-draped coffins in our nation’s history for people that stood up for our individual freedom and liberty.”
Culp was unavailable for an interview on Friday, but said his rallies will continue despite what has happened to Trump.
“The Culp for Governor campaign continues its commitment to allow free people to be educated regarding the virus and then to allow them to make the decision whether to attend our rallies,” the campaign said in a statement.
Polls show that voters approve of Inslee’s cautious approach to the coronavirus. His campaign has been doing virtual events.
Wednesday’s debate will air live on at 8 p.m. on KIRO-7 and other media outlets.
Cox Media Group
