Gov. Roy Cooper Demolishes Dan Forest In Gubernatorial Debate

Tonight, in North Carolina’s gubernatorial debate, Gov. Roy Cooper made the clear case for his re-election, citing his leadership on the COVID-19 pandemic and his record of fighting for working families. Republican Dan Forest, a walking red flag, doubled down on his extreme positions and demonstrated how he would be a public health hazard if elected.

Forest has failed to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, and has embraced positions that would unnecessarily endanger countless lives. He has said he doesn’t believe masks work, and if elected governor, he would pursue herd immunity, which health experts have said could result in the deaths of over one million Americans. Forest has also been holding indoor, maskless, potential superspreader campaign events, saying “it will be a lot more of this.”

This irresponsible behavior has been the hallmark of Forest’s tenure as lieutenant governor. Forest should have attended and voted at State Board of Education meetings, but he’s missed nearly half of the meetings, opting to hold campaign fundraisers instead. When you fail to show up to work, you should be fired, not promoted.

“Tonight, Dan Forest made it clear he is too extreme for North Carolina,” said DGA Communications Director David Turner. “Forest’s inflammatory rhetoric, repeated lies on the pandemic, and failure to show up to work should disqualify him from being governor. North Carolina deserves better than the Dan Forest sideshow. Thankfully, Gov. Roy Cooper has a record of providing steady, science-driven leadership on the pandemic and keeping North Carolinians safe.”