Fiery Debate Between Candidates In Race For Utah Attorney General
Oct 22, 2020, 8:49 AM | Updated: Nov 3, 2020, 11:30 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The two candidates for Utah’s attorney general were side by side Wednesday for their only debate.
The matchup between incumbent Republican Sean Reyes and Democratic challenger Greg Skordas had no shortage of emotion.
There were several heated exchanges during the debate in the race to be the top law enforcement officer in the state.
KSL political specialist Ladd Egan asked the candidates about the summer of protesting calling for police reform.
“When we investigate police officers in these officer-involved shootings, which I respond to and I’ve responded to for 20 years, we need to make sure that the public knows what’s going on,” Skordas said. “We need to set a timeline when body cams will be released.”
“I don’t support defunding the police because I don’t think it’s a binary choice between having to have what many … want in the community – more community boards, more programs,” Reyes said. “I think you can have them both.
The candidates also sparred over Reyes involving Utah in a multi-state lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
“No one’s going to have their health insurance taken away,” Reyes said. “The court’s not going to allow that.”
“Of course they are,” Skordas interjected. “Of course they are. If you do away with the Affordable Care Act, there won’t be affordable care. Don’t say that.”
Reyes said the ACA as a whole is unconstitutional.
Skordas said it needs to stay until something better is put in place.
The closing statements continued with the combative back-and-forth with Reyes reading negative online reviews about Skordas.
“‘Wish I would have lit my $15,000 on fire instead of giving it to Skordas to furnish his expensive office,'” Reyes read. “These are not my words, ladies and gentlemen. These are from the people who put their lives and liberties in his hands.”
“People say, ‘Well, why don’t you, why don’t you attack his record as a prosecutor?'” Skordas said. “He doesn’t have one. He’s never prosecuted a case. He wouldn’t know how. He wouldn’t have the first clue how to do that. I’ve done it.”
When asked if they support Black Lives Matter, Skordas said he absolutely does. Reyes said he supports the statement that black lives matter, but he said some of the movement has been hijacked.
The issues of campaign contributions, mask mandates and ballot initiatives also sparked contention Wednesday night.
