Katie Hobbs won’t debate Kari Lake, but candidates will appear at 2 forums

PHOENIX – Democrat Katie Hobbs won’t agree to debate Republican Kari Lake, but Arizona’s gubernatorial candidates have committed to appearing onstage during the same event at least twice before the November election.

The first forum is set for Wednesday evening, but if you haven’t already signed up to attend you won’t be able to watch it. Public registration for the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s gubernatorial candidate forum is closed, and it won’t be broadcast or livestreamed.

The hourlong event at the Republic National Distributing Company of Arizona in Phoenix starts at 5:30 p.m. Each candidate will get about 20 minutes of time on stage with moderator Annie Vogt, vice president of communications for the Arizona Chamber.

Lake and Hobbs are also booked to participate in an Oct. 3 town hall at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix as part of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce national convention.

That event, which runs from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., will be broadcast, but details about how it will air have not been released. Seating at the Herberger Theater Center is limited to 750 guests.

U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Ramiro Cavazos and Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President Monica Villalobos will also speak during the town hall.

With the midterm general elections about two months away, Hobbs has only agreed to participate in events with Lake where the candidates don’t appear at the same time.

Last week, Hobbs, Arizona’s current secretary of state, turned down an invitation from the Citizens Clean Elections Commission to face Lake in a traditional televised debate on Oct. 12.

Lake, a political newcomer and former local news anchor, says she’ll debate Hobbs at any time and place and even let her write the questions.

Hobbs has suggested having each candidate interviewed separately for 30 minutes by local PBS host Ted Simons, who could ask whatever he wanted. Each candidate would also get one minute for opening and closing remarks under her proposal.

The Clean Elections Commission said Friday it is reviewing Hobbs’ proposal.

Hobbs cited June’s off-the-rails primary debate between the four Republicans vying for their party’s nomination as the reason she won’t debate Lake. The GOP candidates constantly talked over each other and the moderator, leading Lake to say, “I feel like I’m on an ‘SNL’ skit here.”

The highlights from yesterday's debate featuring the Republican candidates for the Governor of Arizona pic.twitter.com/vqfJoOg12g

— Enda O'Dowd (@endajodowd) July 1, 2022

Video highlights of the GOP debate went viral and were the target of ridicule.

The Clean Elections Commission is sponsoring debates in all contested statewide and legislative races before the Nov. 8 election. The events are televised by Arizona PBS, livestreamed and archived for rewatching.

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