Georgia gubernatorial debate canceled: Jackson declines to face Bottoms
Party chair claims candidate dodged six debates
Supporters clashed outside an Atlanta television studio after a scheduled gubernatorial debate was canceled when one candidate declined to participate.
ATLANTA - A fiery political showdown erupted outside the 11Alive studios on Tuesday after Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson declined to face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in a scheduled in-studio debate.
What we know:
The candidates' supporters squared off outside the station Tuesday. The confrontation flared up when Jackson supporters crashed a Democratic Party of Georgia news conference.
DPG Chair Charlie Bailey used the moment to slam Jackson for refusing Bottoms' challenge to participate in six statewide debates.
So far, Jackson has agreed to only one joint appearance, an October town hall, maintaining that his campaign is focused on direct voter outreach.
Dig deeper:
In Georgia's high-stakes U.S. Senate race, incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff held a press conference in Atlanta today, demanding that GOP nominee Mike Collins release every form of communication between himself, his staff, and known white nationalists.
Ossoff’s demands follow the departure of Collins’ top aide, Kip Talley, who was revealed to have communicated with high-profile white nationalists, including Nick Fuentes and Richard Spencer, in an effort to free a convicted Holocaust denier from jail.
What they're saying:
The Collins campaign pushed back against the claims in a written statement:
"Kip Talley is not employed by or affiliated with Rep. Collins. While Rep. Collins continues to condemn anti-Semitism and hate from all sources, Jon Ossoff has yet to condemn his own allies like Hasan Piker, who said 'America deserved 9/11' and radical communist Abdul El-Sayed."
What's next:
The Atlanta Press Club is scheduled to hold debates for statewide offices on Oct. 12 and 13.
What we don't know:
Jackson has formally declined to attend. It is unclear if he will change his mind.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a Democratic Party of Georgia press briefing, an in-person press conference held by Sen. Jon Ossoff, as well as an official written statement provided by the Collins campaign. Aditional details about the Atlanta Press Club debate come from WABE reporting and an organizer for the debates.