On Monday, according to the progressive tabloid, The Yellow Sheet, Secretary of State and Democrat gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs “walked out of an informal interview” after one of their reporters “asked her why she doesn’t want to debate” Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
Earlier this month, Hobbs’ campaign notified the Citizens Clean Elections Commission that she would not be participating in any debate with Lake. Hobbs was given seven days to work with the Commission staff on acceptable terms for a traditional style debate rather than the separate townhalls she proposed.
According to The Yellow Sheet, Hobbs blamed Clean Elections for her decision.
“They refused to provide any changes that would allow for a substantive debate,” Hobbs told The Yellow Sheet.
“But, our reporter noted, Clean Elections said that the Hobbs team never even requested any changes to the debate format beyond the request to ditch a debate entirely in favor of an event where Hobbs and Lake would appear separately, reported The Yellow Sheet.
When The Yellow Sheet reporter asked what specific changes she requested, Hobbs responded, “I think this is not a productive conversation, and if this is all you wanted to ask about, then I think we’re done.”
Hobbs’ strategy of laying low and avoiding the public for much of the general election has politicos divided between those who think her campaign is wise to keep her out of the public eye and make the race a referendum on Kari Lake, and those who feel that the Biden Basement model is a risky gamble, given Lake’s improving poll numbers. Recent polls given Lake a small lead after Hobbs had led for much of the summer.