Democratic nominee for Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that she won’t debate her opponent, Republican nominee Kari Lake.
Partial transcript as follows:
MAJOR GARRETT: Now to Katie Hobbs, she is the Democratic nominee for governor and she’s also in Phoenix this morning, Secretary Hobbs, good morning. Welcome to “Face the Nation.” So your opponent said you don’t want to debate. I’d like to ask you: Are there any conditions under which you would agree to debate Kari Lake, so the voters of Arizona could hear from the two of you, side by side and in real time?
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR AZ GOVERNOR KATIE HOBBS: Look, what I’ve been focused on is opportunities like this, where they can see us back to back and hear directly from us about the issues that are important to Arizonans and how we would govern without a circus like she created during the GOP Republican primary. I have no desire to be a part of the spectacle that she’s looking to create. Because that doesn’t do any service to the voters of Arizona to hear from us, where we stand on the issues and how we would govern.
GARRETT: So sometimes voters learn things from moments of duress or challenge or circus. Don’t you think you’re strong enough to handle any kind of circus Kari Lake might present if in fact, she were to present one? Don’t the voters of Arizona deserve to see that real?
HOBBS: I think the voters of Arizona have had a chance to see how I work under crisis throughout my leadership during the 2020 election as Secretary of State. When we had to combat multiple election challenges from- from former President Trump and his band of election deniers, including my opponents Kari Lake.
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN