NCPR: NY-23: Incumbent McHugh Agrees to Debate Challenger Oot (2008-09-19)

New York 23rd Congressional District incumbent John McHugh has agreed to debate Democratic challenger Mike Oot in three debates to take place in October.

Currently only one debate location has been definitely chosen, the State University of New York College at Plattsburgh. The format has not yet been decided.

Three universities in the 23rd District have been working to plan the debates. Barbara Regenspan of Colgate University criticized McHugh for his slow response to requests for the debates.

"I'm disgusted because I greeted this commitment to try to schedule this debate with an open mind. When his campaign manager calls back, he just calls to argue that he is trying to do something, but there are never any dates, there is never any kind of commitment to do it. Even now, he says 'we'll see what we can do,'" Regenspan said.

McHugh's campaign manager John Sweeney said the candidate was concerned about the format of the debates, which would include questions from the audience.

"One of the congressman's concerns in that when you do get into situations like that, these debates can devolve into opportunities to attack the congressman and sometimes these things can get unruly," Sweeney said.

Morrisville State College Journalism Professor E.J. Conzola said that it is not uncommon for the incumbent to not want to debate his challenger.

"This is not at all uncommon. [The incumbent's] name is out there.. they're in no rush to debate a relatively unknown challenger," Conzola said.

Full story at NCPR news

^{Full story}