Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego criticized his likely GOP Senate race opponent, Kari Lake, for refusing to participate in a debate sponsored by the Arizona Clean Elections Commission. Gallego accused Lake of 'running away from tradition' and avoiding an even-grounded debate.
Gallego expressed his confusion over Lake's reluctance to engage in a public debate format that has traditionally been conducted by the Clean Elections Commission. He highlighted the importance of upholding election traditions, including conceding after losing an election.
When asked about the possibility of a different debate format, Gallego declined to negotiate publicly and emphasized the established practice of Senate debates being organized by the commission.
On the other hand, Lake suggested that her team and Gallego's should discuss a fair platform for debating but indicated her unwillingness to collaborate with the commission. During the primary cycle, Lake also opted out of debating her Republican opponent, Sheriff Mark Lamb, in a debate sponsored by the commission.
The disagreement over the debate format underscores the differing perspectives of the two candidates on how campaign debates should be conducted. While Gallego advocates for the traditional approach facilitated by the Clean Elections Commission, Lake appears to prefer alternative arrangements for engaging in debates.
