U.S. Senate candidate Chris Murphy has agreed to participate in nine debates — but will square off against GOP rival Linda McMahon in just four.
Murphy, who has been urging McMahon to debate since they both won their respective party primaries on Aug. 14, released details Thursday for nine forums he will participate in.
McMahon, who said last month that is was too soon to debate and that voters would be more focused in the fall, also released her forum schedule Thursday.
The two candidates found common ground at four events:
- Oct. 7, hosted by WFSB-TV 3 on its political affairs show, Face the State.
- Oct. 11, hosted by Fox 61 and The Hartford Courant at the University of Connecticut.
- Oct. 15, hosted by The Day of New London and WTNH-TV 8 at the Garde Theater in New London, and
- Oct. 18, hosted by the Connecticut Broadcasters Asociation, in Hartford.
“I’ve spent my career fighting for middle class families and for Connecticut jobs, and I’m excited to take these public debates all across the state,” Murphy said. “People deserve to hear from their Senate candidates face to face in an unscripted setting, and voters will be able to see firsthand the difference between the endless 30-second attack ads, and my plan to bring jobs back to Connecticut and strengthen our middle class.”
The five debates Murphy will attend without McMahon include:
- September 24, hosted by WVIT-TV 30, NBC of Connecticut
- October 10, hosted by the Waterbury Chamber of Commerce
- October 19, hosted by WABC, the New York Times and Univision
- October 27, hosted by the Connecticut NAACP in New Haven, and
- A fifth event, on a date to be determined, hosted by the AARP in Bridgeport.
“Why is Linda McMahon ducking debate invitations from seniors, small businesses, African-Americans and Latinos?” asked Murphy campaign spokesman Ben Marter. “She should face these voters to explain her embarrassing record.”
But the McMahon camp, which has argued since the primary that Murphy has failed to produce a detailed plan to produce jobs, fired back that the debate flap is merely an effort to distract from this failure.
“If three debates is good enough for the presidency of the United States, then four debates should be good enough for the U.S. Senate,” McMahon spokesman Todd Abrajano said.
“Linda McMahon tours the state every day talking to voters of all stripes,” he said, adding that all four debates she is attending will be televised. “Every voter in the state of Connecticut will have an opportunity to see both candidates on stage together, debating the important issues.”