Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Tom Udall challenged his opponent today to three debates before the November election.
Udall campaign manger Amanda Cooper sent a letter to Bob Carter, chief of staff for Republican Steve Pearce, challenging Pearce to three debates that would be televised statewide.
Asked if he had any response, Pearce’s spokesman, Brian Phillips, said, “Not yet.”
Udall’s challenge comes after a disagreement over format ended hopes of a joint appearance at this weekend’s New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau gathering on Saturday in Mescalero. Instead, Udall will speak for 30 minutes, then take questions, and Pearce will do the same when Udall is done. In addition, Udall refused a debate challenge from Pearce several weeks ago, saying there would be plenty of time for debates in the fall.
Now Udall wants three debates, Cooper wrote in the letter.
“To make the decision of who our next senator will be, New Mexicans deserve to see the candidates side-by-side, engaging in a vigorous exchange of ideas with each other,” Cooper wrote. “They deserve to see where each candidate stands on the issues that matter most to
She proposed that the debates be held after Labor Day, be televised and coordinated to reach every part of the state and include a “variety of formats to allow the most statewide interaction with the people of
Cooper wrote that she’ll be contacting Carter in the coming days to set up a meeting to work out the details and finalize a debate schedule.
“We hope the Pearce campaign will join us to ensure that all New Mexicans have the opportunity to participate and have their voices heard in this historic United States Senate campaign,” Cooper wrote.