During a visit to Yuma Tuesday, Republican Gubernatorial candidate, Kari Lake, called out Democratic opponent, Katie Hobbs, for refusing to participate in a debate.
“She won't debate me," Hobbs said. "She won't share her policies for Arizona in a debate. She chickened out of a debate. She is showing absolute cowardice."
Hobbs "doesn't respect the people of Arizona enough to sit down with me on a debate stage, and talk about her polices," Lake continued. "That tells me her policies are horrible, and I know they are, because I've examined them and they will have us looking a lot like California.”
Hobbs, on Friday, declined to agree to a televised debate with Lake, according to the Associated Press. Hobbs instead proposed individual interviews with a moderator.
The campaign manager for Hobbs, who currently is secretary of state, pointed to a raucous debate between the four Republicans vying for their party’s nomination in the Aug. 2 primary for Hobbs' decision.
Lake already had agreed to a debate and its format, which has been used for years. Lake also said she was ready debate with Hobbs at any time, let her pick the moderator and write all the questions.
Hobbs’ campaign has been in discusssions with the Citizens Clean Election Commission -- and Arizona PBS -- to attempt to agree on conditions for the tentative Oct. 12 debate.
Such debates are televised and streamed live across the state on Arizona PBS. Numerous private television stations also had planned to broadcast the debate.