Last week, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan squared off in a rare head-to-head debate with his left-wing challenger Mary Peltola, who leaned heavily on flash cards, which she often read verbatim from her podium.
It got so bad that at one point, Sullivan asked the moderators to clarify whether Peltola had been sent the questions in advance, which would have violated the debate rules. The moderators assured Sullivan that Peltola was not sent the questions ahead of time.
Now, Sullivan is calling out Peltola for repeatedly refusing to accept a host of debate invites from various organizations and groups across Alaska who wish to see the candidates square off and defend their ideas.
A statement from the Sullivan campaign notes that Peltola has rejected four out of five debate invitations, which aim to provide voters with opportunities to hear directly from both candidates about their records and priorities for Alaska in the U.S. Senate.
“Peltola chose to continue hiding in her bunker and declining invitations, limiting opportunities for Alaskans to hear directly from both candidates,” the Oct. 18 statement from the Sullivan camp notes.
The debates which Peltola has refused to participate in include the following:
— October 7: Kenai and Soldotna Chambers of Commerce U.S. Senate Forum, KSRM Radio
— October 14: Alaska Landmine U.S. Senate Debate, presented by AARP Alaska
— October 16: Alaska Chamber U.S. Senate Candidate Forum, Girdwood
— October 20: Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Debate
Peltola did agree to two head-to-head debates with Sullivan earlier this year – one on Aug. 27 during a “forum” at the Alaska Oil and Gas Association conference in Anchorage, and another on Sept. 12 at the fisheries-focused debate/forum hosted by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce.
No additional head-to-head debates are in the works before the Nov. 3 election.
