‘Primary elections are partisan,’ says Party Chair Carson Jorgensen.
Candidates meet for a 2nd Congressional District debate between J. Robert Latham , Chris Stewart and Kael Weston , at KSL Studio in Salt Lake City, on Monday, October 19, 2020. The Utah GOP is hosting debates independent from the Utah Debate Commission after their request to have input on topics and moderators were rebuffed.Can partisan goals coexist with political independence? Not in Utah in 2022.
The Debate Commission was formed in 2014 and represents all of the major media outlets in Utah. . The Commission sponsored pre-primary debates in 2018 and 2020 without any controversy. Rep. John Curtis won’t even be in the United States on those days. He committed to a foreign trip as part of his Congressional work in January. A spokesperson for his campaign says they reached out to the Commission right after the April convention to try and pick a date for the event. They learned about the schedule from a news release.
The high-profile U.S. Senate primary will be the most impacted by the debate flap. Two-term incumbent Mike Lee faces a challenge from Becky Edwards and Ally Isom. Isom accused Lee of hiding behind the state party to avoid debating — a charge Jorgensen flatly denies.“Sen. Lee will participate in the primary debate sanctioned by the Utah Republican Party,” Matt Lusty, Lee’s campaign manager, said in a text message.
“We’ve been in close touch with party leadership and have indicated our support for them and their desire to host their own debate. We encourage the GOP to consider dates that won’t conflict with the Utah Debate Commissions’s already scheduled debates and look forward to confirming our participation once an official invitation has been extended,” a spokesperson for Edwards said.“I will debate anytime and anywhere. Utah voters deserve to know what their choice is.
Jake Hunsaker, the primary foe for freshman Rep. Burgess Owens in the 4th District, says candidates should debate the issues in whatever forum is available.
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