Dear Editor,

I’m referring, of course, to the random social media announcements that read like a WWE Smackdown poster: INCUMBENT MARIE MORNIS vs. CHALLENGER JESSICA KAYS. The only thing missing was ropes and a mat.

Anyone who follows the politics of any election campaign has watched the intense squabbling over THE DEBATES: WHO will moderate? WHAT is the format? WHEN will it happen? WHERE will it be? HOW many? Crucial details that are always fought about—and ironed out and agreed upon—before ANY debate takes place.

So, I was a little surprised when, only a few weeks after the Gilpin County Republican Assembly, various forms of these supposed “debate” notices sporadically popped up—with no idea where they originated or why they kept getting edited.

The biggest surprise was the emphasized word—applied to candidate Mornis— “INCUMBENT.” Incumbency, at the least, implies that the candidate has won the previous election. Marie, of course, did no such thing—having only been appointed to fill the final year of Commissioner Web Sill’s term of office after his tragic death.

The thing that struck me most was that Jessica Kays would have to be a blithering idiot to allow Ms. Mornis to don the “incumbent”mantle— relegating Ms. Kays to the diminutive “challenger.” Having observed Ms. Kays’ public demeanor I knew that Ms. Kays was anything but an idiot. In particular I recall watching her deliver three significant public speeches: The first, at the Feb 1 Gilpin GOP meeting where she announced her candidacy for Gilpin County Commissioner in front of a silent audience—with overt hostility from the dais in the form of Chairperson Mornis and Secretary Diehl (The Vice-Chairman, Rick Wenzel, remained stoically neutral). The second public appearance was at the Republican Caucus—where Ms. Kays’ speech received a more cordial reception. The third was at the Republican Assembly where Ms. Kays and her advocates made a well-organized and concise presentation— after which Ms. Kays was voted onto the Republican Primary Ballot. To a far more receptive and enthusiastic audience.

What I observed was that Ms. Kays is intelligent, experienced, articulate and unflappable in the face of adversity. So I was certain that Ms. Kays had nothing to do with these absurd “debate” notices.

It’s hard to say what the notice origin was—there is no mention of it on the Gilpin GOP website. And as it turns out, the Notices were someone else's doing. Ms. Kays had NOT, in fact, agreed to ANYTHING beyond the bare notion of a real debate. And Ms. Mornis’ subsequent steamroller—and refusal to reply to Ms. Kays—is nothing of the kind.

I don’t subscribe to either local paper but while visiting the Gilpin Library I saw a copy of the Weekly Register-Call (WRC) with the headline: “UPCOMING DEBATE MAY BECOME A LOPSIDED AFFAIR.” The article itself appeared to be a balanced description of events, with interviews from both Ms. Mornis and Ms. Kays. But having witnessed the rancor and hostility from two GCRC officers last February and the conduct displayed since, the takeaway is that this debate debacle lay solely at the feet of a wildly partisan wing of the Gilpin Republicans. Elsewhere in that issue, the Editor, “Barbwire”Bob, asserted that “the Gilpin County GOP may be channeling Bud [Abbott] and Lou [Costello] in lining up a debate.” I seem to have picked an embarrassing time to re-join the Republicans but, c’est la guerre.

Clearly there can and should be a well-publicized, fair and impartial debate—something Ms. Kays advocates for and clearly favors. But Ms. Mornis’ abysmal conduct—setting up a “debate” while wearing the hat of CHAIRPERSON Mornis—and swapping that hat Thursday evening for CANDIDATE Mornis—in front of an audience and moderator recruited solely by Ms. Mornis—with a forum and rules selected solely by Ms. Mornis, is a mockery of fairness and impartiality.

I have no idea what is going to take place at the Gilpin Library Thursday night. But if I were Ms. Kays, bats would fly out my ass before I participated in Ms. Mornis' little charade.

RHaj Mand, Black Hawk