Once again, Democrat candidate for governor, Katie Hobbs, was a “no show” at the Arizona Clean Election’s last attempt to host a debate between her and Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake.
Lake had hoped that Hobbs would decide at the last minute to honor the decades-long tradition of the Clean Elections Commission to host debates between candidates for state and federal offices. The debates give candidates an opportunity to face off and give the voters of Arizona a side-by-side view of the choices on their ballots.
Because Hobbs refused to debate Lake, the Commission gave Lake an opportunity to address the voters for 30 minutes.
“One of the things a candidate needs to be able to do is pass the eye and ear test with voters, and Kari Lake definitely looks and sounds like a Governor.” said GOP campaign consultant Constantin Querard. Querard, who is not affiliated with the Lake campaign, added that “Lake has command of the issues, speaks in such a way that everyone listening can understand and appreciate what she’s saying, and I can see why Hobbs would be afraid to sit next to her and allow voters to make the comparison between the two of them.”
Unable to find a willing journalist, the Arizona Clean Elections Commission Lake chose moderate Republican radio host Mike Broomhead to interview Lake. The interview aired on AZTV, a locally owned station that only broadcasts in metro Phoenix and Northern Arizona.