The two Ripley residents are opponents in the Nov. 7 election for the 12th District seat in the House of Delegates. The district includes most of Jackson County, including Ravenswood and Ripley. Nicholas, who is a Democrat, is a political newcomer. Carmichael, the Republican incumbent, is seeking his fourth two-year term.

Their campaign paths crossed last week in Ravenswood when they agreed to a formal debate at the NYA Hall. A crowd of about [55] was in attendance as Chris Stirewalt of The State Journal served as the moderator.

Carmichael cited his legislative experience and noted the importance of having Republican representation in state government.

"West Virginia has had 75 years of one-party rule," he stated. "Where has that gotten us? We're last in most everything." He added that the only thing growing in West Virginia is state government.

Nicholas countered by suggesting that Jackson County could benefit by having a first-term delegate from the controlling party rather than by re-electing a fourth term lawmaker from the minority party. "We need to do what we can to stand up and make things better," he stated.

Both candidates were in agreement when it came to keeping a grip on payday lending companies in the state. Other than that issue, however, Carmichael and Nicholas stand on the opposite ends of the political spectrum.

Consider the following views.

Nicholas favors a state-level action to raise the minimum wage. "Any West Virginian who is working 40 hours a week should not be living in poverty," he said. "We need to pay people what they're worth."

Carmichael counters by saying that action would only serve to chase more jobs away from the Mountain State. "You can't legislate wealth from the halls of Charleston. Making the minimum wage higher in West Virginia than it is in surrounding states would lead to fewer jobs here and discourage businesses from offering entry-level jobs. It's the wrong thing to do."

Carmichael staunchly opposes the state tax on groceries. He quoted an example that West Virginia does not charge a tax on lottery tickets, but does on food essentials such as milk and bread.

Nicholas states that he favors a plan that would reduce the tax over a period of time. "You can't get rid of it all at once," he stated. "I would support a plan to cut one percent per year."

Nicholas says the state should devote more time and money into alternative sources for energy with an emphasis on protecting the environment. Among other suggestions, he says investments could include development of wind energy in the Kenna area, turbines on the Ohio River, and a mass transit system connecting Parkersburg to Charleston.

Carmichael agreed that the nation needs to continue planning for the future, but noted that West Virginia has sufficient coal supplies to fuel the country for 400 years. His suggestion was to continue researching ways to use coal in cleaner and more efficient ways.

Nicholas, a graduate student and former [vice] president of the West Virginia University Young Democrats, says Americans should expect more from their government. He says he favors unionizing state employees, full public financing of political campaigns, and better health care coverage.

"The United States is the only industrialized nation without universal health care," he said. Nicholas noted that [294,000] state residents are not covered by health care insurance. "Obviously, the private sector plan is not working."

Carmichael has an opposing view on government, advocating tort and tax reforms to make the state more competitive. "The role of government is to set an equal playing field and then get out of the way and let the people prosper."