McSally, Arpaio Silent On Ward’s Fox News Primary Debate Request

Ward and volunteers delivered nominating petitions to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office

Martha McSally and Joe Arpaio have failed to respond to Dr. Kelli Ward”s request that they participate in a nationally-televised debate hosted by the Fox News Channel prior to the August 28 Republican primary.

Ward released a new digital ad last week calling on McSally and Arpaio to accept the challenge.

Ward also sent a letter to AZGOP State Chairman Jonathan Lines urging him “use all the tools at your disposal to encourage all parties to participate in a statewide or nationally televised debate before the primary election.”

Lines, who controls the AZGOP on behalf of the Party’s “establishment” will unlikely respond. McSally is the “establishment’s” candidate, and it is widely believed that Arpaio is in race for the “establishment” in an effort to dilute Ward’s grassroots’ support.

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Earlier this year, Ward announced her proposal to hold a series of six, issue-oriented primary debates to be held across the state and hosted by newspapers, television, and radio stations in each market.

“It’s important that we respect the voters by moving the debate beyond the soundbites and inevitable television ads that dominate far too much of today’s political campaigns,” said Ward in January. “Issue-focused debates that provide voters the opportunity to ask questions, get in-depth answers on the issues of the day, and go beyond the everyday media filter to learn more about each of the candidates on stage will benefit everyone.”

Ward’s camp is circulating a petition “letting Martha McSally and Joe Arpaio know that Arizona voters demand and deserve debates.”

Arpaio was reportedly pranked by Sacha Baron Cohen for his newest show Who Is America?”  Cohen, who stars in the political satire mockumentary television series, tricks politicians into thinking their meetings with him are real interviews.

Arpaio told Breitbart on Thursday that Cohen duped him by posing as a Finnish comedian.

According to an interview Arpaio gave Breitbart News, the former Maricopa County sheriff and current Senate hopeful was “very uncomfortable” with some of the things Cohen allegedly said.

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