After much debate, two debates

The Democratic and Republican candidates for governor have agreed on at least two debates this fall.

Republican Pat McCrory's campaign signed an agreement today for debates on October 3rd and October 16th. Democrat Walter Dalton's campaign had already agreed to them. Libertarian candidate Barbara Howe says she has not been invited.

The two debates will be sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters. They will be broadcast statewide on television and radio, including on WRAL-TV.

The campaigns are also negotiating several other debates, but details haven't yet been finalized.

The announcement came via a short political skirmish between the campaigns.

Dalton spokesman Schorr Johnson announced this morning that McCrory hadn't yet agreed to the statewide debates, accusing him of trying to avoid facing off against Dalton. 

The McCrory campaign signed the agreement shortly afterward. Spokesman Ricky Diaz says McCrory verbally okayed the debates weeks ago, but hadn't completed the written agreement until today. 

Diaz says McCrory wants three other debates with Dalton, and is waiting for scheduling details from his opponent.

Meantime, Johnson says Dalton was waiting for McCrory to agree to the NCAB debates before scheduling any others. He says Dalton has made multiple requests for more debates. 

The three other debates would include one in Rocky Mount, co-sponsored by WRAL and the Chamber of Commerce. The tentative date is October 24th. Two others would be in Wilmington and Greensboro.