GOP Senators Push for Debates, Call Out Hiding Dems

Three Republican senators have joined together to push their Democratic opponents to agree to a "nationally televised debate in each race," and accusing their challengers of trying to avoid scrutiny.

Sens. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., on Tuesday released a joint statement "calling on their opponents to accept debate invitations from CNN."

"It is a slap in the face to Arizonans that, even with a CNN home-field advantage, Mark Kelly is refusing to meet me on the debate stage," McSally said in a statement. "Our race is ground zero for keeping the Senate majority out of [Senate Minority Leader] Chuck Schumer's hands, and voters in Arizona and across the country deserve to hear what's at stake in this election if Mark becomes another foot soldier in the Schumer army: higher taxes, government takeover of healthcare, the job-killing Green New Deal, and weak-on-China policies that would cripple our economy and make us less safe.

"Mark is hiding from his record and radical positions because he knows how far out of step he is with Arizonans. I'm starting to think he might be scared of debating a girl."

Gardner said: "Gov. Hickenlooper is the only Colorado Senate candidate to turn down debates. Hickenlooper continues to hide from voters because he cannot defend his increasingly radical agenda nor his egregious ethics violations. With so much on the line this November, voters deserve to hear from both candidates."

Tillis said: "North Carolinians shouldn't be surprised that Cal Cunningham is refusing to honor his pledge to debate five times given his record of breaking a no-tax-increase pledge to the tune of $1 billion.

"What is a surprise, however, is that he is too afraid to face me in a debate hosted by his liberal allies at CNN. He should reconsider his decision so that the people of North Carolina can see the stark contrast between my agenda to get our state back to work and his extreme liberal policies that will cripple our recovery effort."

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