By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - Democrat Ben Chandler cannot attend, but the Sept. 23 Northern Kentucky gubernatorial debate with Republican Ernie Fletcher will go forward with Chandler's running mate as a stand-in.

Legacy, a Northern Kentucky nonprofit group of young professionals committed to civic and political causes, had announced the Chandler-Fletcher debate Monday.

Chandler's campaign said Wednesday their candidate has a previous commitment. "We absolutely did not commit," said campaign manager Mark Nickolas.

Charlie Owen, Chandler's lieutenant governor running mate, will appear instead.

Fletcher still plans to attend, campaign spokesman Wes Irvin said Wednesday.

"We don't see any reason why we would not honor that commitment," Irvin said.

Legacy President A.J. Schaeffer, a Covington lawyer, said the group believed it had "commitments of participation from the offices of both candidates."

"We were informed (Tuesday) evening of a mistake concerning ... Chandler's availability on Sept. 23," Schaeffer said.

The event will be at Northern Kentucky University.

Chandler and Fletcher are to deliver separate speeches at the Sept. 30 Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, set for 7 . at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. But they will not debate at that event, organizers said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com