Democrat Ossoff Declines CNN Debate With Handel

Democrat Jon Ossoff is refusing to debate Republican Karen Handel in a nationally televised broadcast one week before their runoff election to fill a vacant House seat in Georgia, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The debate was scheduled for June 13 and expected to be broadcast on CNN, the newspaper said.

But Ossoff's spokeswoman Amy Messner said the campaign has committed to just debates moderated by "the metro Atlanta press corps," according to the newspaper.

The Atlanta Press Club, which was staging the debate, said it was disappointed by Ossoff's decision.

"We regret Jon Ossoff has declined to be a part of this debate, which would have helped inform the voters of Georgia's 6th Congressional District and engaged viewers around the country," the Atlanta Press Club said, according to the Washington Examiner.

The website noted the debate has been "increasingly scrutinized for national implications."

The seat was left vacant when incumbent Tom Price was appointed secretary of Health and Human services.

Ossoff had finished first in the April primary, but failed to get 50 percent of the vote needed to avoid a runoff, which is now scheduled for June 20, according to the Examiner.

It has become the most expensive House race in history with more than $30 million dollars spent so far, The Washington Free Beacon reported.

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