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Election news from across Utah's statewide and national races in 2020.

Utah Attorney General Candidates Have Heated Debate Centered On Affordable Care Act

Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and Defense Attorney Greg Skordas debate in the KSL studios in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020.
Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
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Deseret News
Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes and Defense Attorney Greg Skordas debate in the KSL studios in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020.

Two candidates for attorney general, Republican incumbent Sean Reyes and Democrat Greg Skordas, squared off Wednesday night in their first and only debate before the election.

It started off on the offensive, with Reyes reading client reviews that criticized his opponent’s work as an attorney. That set the stage for a fiery back-and-forth on campaign finance, data privacy and the lawsuit to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Reyes has signed onto a lawsuit with other Republican attorneys general to undo the ACA. He says the law is unconstitutional.

“Even if the [U.S.] Supreme Court strikes down the ACA, no one is going to lose their health coverage during COVID,” Reyes said. “I do support the case. The high court, the state and the federal government are never going to let that happen.”

Meanwhile, Skordas argued the lawsuit goes directly against the will of Utah voters, who passed Medicaid expansion through a 2018 ballot initiative. He said Reyes hasn’t proposed anything to replace Obamacare if it’s repealed.

“To join a lawsuit, especially during a pandemic, especially at a time when we have 200,000 Americans who have died,” Skordas said, “to take away health care just because it’s politically expedient for you, is senseless.”

Reyes said the people voted for Medicaid expansion assuming that the ACA is constitutional.

Early voting is underway in Utah and ends Oct. 30. Election Day is Nov. 3.

Emily Means is a government and politics reporter at KUER.
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