YES, Cliff Hyra Should Be Invited to the Virginia Bar Association Debate!

I just found out the other day that the Virginia Bar Association – the first organization for lawyers in the Commonwealth of Virginia, that VBA, has a debate between (should be among as I will state further below) two of the candidates for governor – the former lobbyist GOP hopeful Ed Gillespie and the medical doctor Democrat candidate Ralph Northam.

However…

The Virginia lawyers forgot one candidate – who is ballot approved – and guess what:  Libertarian Cliff Hyra is the only Virginia Lawyer in the race.

Yes, Cliff Hyra, Virginia Attorney with license number 75021, was NOT invited to the July 22 event.

Here is the event and here is where I would send (polite!  Always be nice – honey always beats vinegar every time!) comments to.  I’d like to see many such comments regardless of political affiliation.  Don’t have to be a lawyer to comment.  It is a public debate.

Here are the ten debates Gillespie agreed to be in according to The Bull Elephant.

1. Virginia Bar Association Debate
2. WRIC-TV, WAVY-TV, WHAG-TV, and WFXR-TV Debate
3. Governor Doug Wilder Debate
4. The Center for Rural Virginia Debate
5. UVA Batten School and Southwest Virginia Technology Council Debate at UVA-Wise
6. Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce Debate
7. Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce Debate
8. Virginia Tech and WDBJ-TV Debate
9. Radio One & Miss Community Clovia Debate
10. Liberty University Debate

Northam has agreed to the VBA debate only so far, but suggested three debates and seven joint appearances here.  (Gillespie called it “insulting” to the voters.  What is really insulting is shutting out the other ballot-approved candidate.)

Remso W. Martinez of the Remso Republic suggested Hyra be invited (not to the VBA debate but the Liberty University one).  I agree.  It is especially galling for the Virginia lawyers (now I would note the VBA is a voluntary organization of lawyers, you do not have to join it to practice law – that is the state agency the Virginia State Bar) to say no to the only Virginia lawyer in the race.  I sent the VBA a question for the debate – will either Gillespie or Northam debate Hyra?  Don’t have to even like lawyers to see the dissonance in this position.

So I ask publicly?  Why not let the ONE Virginia Attorney debate?  Shouldn’t the lawyers in the Commonwealth hear all viewpoints – especially from one of their own?  I think so.  I am also a Virginia attorney (license number 25007) and I call for my colleague Cliff Hyra to be invited to this debate.

I have not endorsed in this race or any other race this general election cycle.  Not yet.  But Hyra ought to be invited.