Inside the debate dispute shaping the Georgia governor race
Georgia governor candidates clash over debates
Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms challenged Republican Rick Jackson to six debates across the state.
ATLANTA - It is a dead heat in the race for Georgia governor as both campaigns launch major statewide pushes with just eight weeks to go.
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms is pressing Republican Rick Jackson to agree to a six-debate schedule, while Jackson’s team points to a new grassroots network aimed at locking in votes.
What they're saying:
Addressing the challenge over campaign debates, Bottoms spokesman Tharon Johnson maintained that voters deserve multiple opportunities to evaluate both candidates side-by-side.
"She challenged Rick Jackson to those debates," Johnson said. "He had only previously agreed to one debate, and he came with some very aggressive terms. We've since then agreed to that debate, but we also said that the people of Georgia actually deserve to hear, from Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms. And these are debates that are being proposed in places like Macon, Savannah and Atlanta."
The other side:
Pushing back on calls for additional forums, Jackson campaign spokesman Brian Robinson maintained that limiting the candidates to a single town hall event will prove more impactful for the electorate.
"There's no appetite for a multitude of these debates," Robinson said. "I think if we have one, it will heighten the awareness of it. It will heighten the interest in it and will probably get way more attention than spreading it out over six debates. And I think that's beneficial for all."
Big picture view:
The clash over debate formats comes as the Jackson campaign moves to highlight its newly launched statewide organization. Describing the effort to build momentum ahead of November, Robinson insisted that local leadership will drive their ground game. "Every congressional district has a chair, and this is just an expansion of the grassroots network that Jackson has been building since he launched his campaign," Robinson said. "And this shows that we have people in every part of the state, every community, stepping forward to take leadership roles in this campaign."
What's next:
With both sides fighting for every vote, the campaign now enters its final stretch heading into November. Highlighting their message to voters, Johnson said, "With two months leading up to the election, what you'll see from Mayor Bottoms is a continuation of her making sure that all voters, all Georgians, know where she stands on the issues that are most important to them."
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 5 reporter Deidra Dukes, who spoke with Bottoms campaign spokesman Tharon Johnson and Jackson campaign spokesman Brian Robinson, as well as campaign announcements.