JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Primary voters will only hear from two of three major Republicans running for governor in a televised debate next month.
And only one Republican vying for attorney general is joining a forum in 最新杏吧原创 on Monday.
A campaign spokeswoman for Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe said the candidate won鈥檛 participate in the debate, hosted by KSDK-TV (Channel 5), due to a scheduling conflict.
The hourlong debate is set to begin at 7 p.m. on July 24, KSDK reported on Thursday.
Kehoe鈥檚 two main rivals 鈥 Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and state Sen. Bill Eigel 鈥 have accused Kehoe of dodging debates in the lead-up to the Aug. 6 primary. Kehoe鈥檚 campaign has said he also won鈥檛 attend a July 11 forum at Parkway West High School.
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The lieutenant governor has led the field in fundraising. And a recent poll suggests he is catching up to Ashcroft. Emerson College results released Friday : Ashcroft had 23% support, Kehoe 20%, and Eigel 6%, with a 4.4% margin of error. Nearly half of the 489 expected GOP primary voters included in the survey were undecided.
Appearing in a widely televised debate could expose Kehoe to attacks as he tries to lock up the nomination.
In the campaign, for example, Kehoe has been attacked for his past support for foreign-owned farmland and his advocacy for raising the state fuel tax for road upgrades.
Kehoe鈥檚 campaign may also be borrowing strategy from others: Former President Donald Trump refused to debate ahead of GOP primary contests for president this year, despite numerous challenges by opponents such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Trump鈥檚 absence didn鈥檛 ultimately hurt him; he coasted to the Republican nomination for president.
Gabby Picard, Kehoe鈥檚 spokeswoman, said last week that 鈥渓osing candidates focus all of their time and energy on a debate schedule.鈥
Jason Cabel Roe, spokesman for Ashcroft, previously said Kehoe 鈥渋s gonna try and buy the race, avoiding any cross-examination.鈥
KSDK content director Morgan Schaab said the Kehoe campaign had asked detailed and thoughtful questions about the debate, and said that 鈥 our answers appeared to be well-received. They certainly were not met with any objections,鈥 KSDK reported.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we were surprised and disappointed to hear them say a scheduling conflict would prevent them from attending the July 24 debate,鈥 Schaab said, according to KSDK. 鈥淲e intend to hold a podium for Mr. Kehoe in case he reconsiders. We hope he will.鈥
Picard had expressed hope last week that the KSDK debate would work out.
But she said Friday Kehoe has 鈥渁lready confirmed his participation鈥 in another event on the day of the KSDK debate, without saying which event.
Bailey to be absent, too
Meanwhile, Attorney General Andrew Bailey will not be attending a Monday forum hosted by the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization.
Former federal prosecutor Will Scharf, who is running against Bailey in the GOP primary, and Elad Gross, the only Democrat in the race, are scheduled to appear at the event.
The forum is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Monday at the the Ritz-Carlton, 100 Carondelet Plaza, in 最新杏吧原创. Registration had ended for the ticketed event but others hoping to attend could sign up for .
The event will be livestreamed on the Federalist Society , according to the group.
鈥淭hey set this date without confirming it even worked for us,鈥 said Michael Hafner, spokesman for Bailey鈥檚 campaign.
The Federalist Society said in a statement the date 鈥渨as set well in advance and all three campaigns were extended equal invitations at the same time.鈥
最新杏吧原创 Post-Dispatch photographers captured May 2024 in hundreds of images. Here are just some of those photos. Edited by Jenna Jones.
