Arizona Secretary of State and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs campaign sent a letter to Arizona Citizens Clean Elections proposing a different format for a televised debate against Republican nominee Kari Lake.
Hobbs team would agree to a 30-minute interview with each candidate individually, as opposed to a one-on-one debate on air with Arizona PBS Host Ted Simons hosting.
“Over the last few weeks, we have worked with Clean Elections to find a format that would lead to a robust discussion of the most pressing issues facing Arizonans,” campaign manager Nicole DeMont wrote to the commission. “Unfortunately, the only modification to the original proposal that Clean Elections offered was loosely enforced time limits.”
ABC 15 political analyst Garrett Archer noted that Lake would receive a 30-minute interview with Simons anyways if Hobbs ultimately declines outright.
DeMont said that Lake would not “produce a good faith debate of ideas.”
JUST IN: @katiehobbs campaign sends a letter to @AZCCEC proposing that debate format be changed to a 30 minute one on one interview with each candidate.
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She cites GOP debate as reason for the change.
If rejected and Hobbs ultimately declines, @karilake will get this format. pic.twitter.com/rZA6zFa3Yz
— The AZ – abc15 – Data Guru (@Garrett_Archer) September 2, 2022
Republican National Committee spokesman Ben Petersen criticized Hobbs’s decision to not agree to a traditional debate.
“Katie Hobbs knows she cannot defend the indefensible — Hobbs’ candidacy is a toxic waste heap of open borders, defunding the police, racial discrimination, incompetence, corruption and mismanagement. While Katie Hobbs hides in her bunker, Arizonans of all stripes are uniting behind our next governor, Kari Lake,” Petersen said in an email statement.
In the Senate race, both Republican Blake Masters and incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly have agreed to a debate on Oct. 6.
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