There appears to be a pattern among Democratic candidates who won't debate their Republican opponents except in the most inconvenient circumstances, even and including in states where Democrats have better chances. Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY), who is running against Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) in New York, has been sharing for some time now how the governor won't debate with him. It appears that she finally has agreed to debate, but that the details aren't too favorable to New York voters.
??DEBATE UPDATE: @KathyHochul is now trying to pathetically do just 1 debate at the end of October, over a month after absentee ballots start going out. Hochul's contempt for this process is reason enough to boot her from office. We should have multiple debates starting now! pic.twitter.com/ZmiZpVLFSu
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) September 21, 2022
Absentee ballots start going out in the state this Friday, but Hochul has so far only agreed to a debate on October 25. That's over a month after absentee ballots have gone out in New York, and just two weeks before the election.
The debate that Hochul has agreed to is scheduled to appear on Spectrum/NY1, which does not air in counties on Long Island, nor does it air in homes with certain major cable providers.
Spectrum/NY1 doesn’t air in Nassau & Suffolk Counties, and it also doesn’t air in homes with DirectTV, Dish, Verizon, etc. Hochul’s strategy for 1 end of October debate won’t be available on TV screens for millions of NYers. There must be multiple debates. https://t.co/7i5sg1aQBL
— Katie Vincentz (@katievincentz) September 21, 2022
Reporting by Zach Williams for the New York Post from Wednesday evening references a statement sent out from Hochul campaign spokesperson Jerrel Harvey. "Gov. Hochul looks forward to highlighting the clear contrast between her strong record of delivering results and Lee Zeldin’s extreme agenda," Harvey is quoted as saying.
If she truly "looks forward to highlighting" what she sees is a "clear contrast" between her and Zeldin, it's worth wondering why Hochul hasn't agreed to more debates.
Zeldin, who had challenged her to at least five debates, has accepted debates from CBS2 and PIX11. He has proposed holding the debates anyway, where he will show up even if the governor does not.
"This is absolutely unacceptable just how much contempt Kathy Hochul has towards New Yorkers that she is trying to pathetically get away with just one General Election debate over a month after absentee ballots start going out," a statement from Zeldin read.
Like Katie Vincentz, who handles communications for the campaign, highlighted in her tweet, Zeldin's statement also highlighted the need for more inclusive markets. "Meanwhile, the NYC media market is not the only media market in the state. It is important to have debates throughout the state to focus on issues specific to that particular region," he continued.
The New York City region is the most populous part of the state, and also the most Democratic, where Hochul has polled particularly well. In a conversation with Townhall shortly after winning his primary, Zeldin warned about polls that oversample the region.
In New York, where state election records show that there are many more Democratic voters than Republican ones, Zeldin needs to win over Democrats and Independents. He has already earned the endorsements of Democratic groups and state leaders, both current and former.
Adding insult to injury is that Hochul even had more debates before she won her primary in June. Hochul, who previously served as the state's lieutenant governor, only just came into the position on August 24 of last year, once former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's resignation was effective.
"Even in the Democratic Party primary, Hochul had multiple debates! She owes it to the voters as part of this process to have multiple debates throughout the state about the issues most important to them," Zeldin added. In closing, he made the case that this doesn't bode well for Hochul. "The fact that Kathy Hochul believes New Yorkers don't deserve that should tell them all they need to know when they're headed to the ballot box on November 8th."
The call for more debates is coming from more than just Zeldin. Williams in his coverage referenced how the outlet called Hochul out in its print metro edition from September 16, in which the governor is photoshopped to be in a chicken suit.
Kathy Hochul loses if she debates me, but loses even more if she doesn't.
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) September 16, 2022
I've challenged her to at least 5 debates across NY. She hasn't yet accepted even one.
As today's @nypost cover perfectly sums up, it's time for #ScaredyKat to come out of hiding and face the music. pic.twitter.com/0oCqFNfqRa
Others have also tweeted that they want to hear more from Hochul.
New York deserves to see the candidates for governor debate at least 2 or 3 times. @GovKathyHochul is spending millions in negative advertising against @leezeldin If the governor is confident in labeling Lee as extreme, then debate him on it.
— Covid19Brainz (@EdwardRosado17) September 23, 2022
How anyone can argue AGAINST having more debates is beyond me. Kkkathy likes to say she’s “fighting”for stuff. Let’s hear what that is exactly — beyond abortion which already codified and kick backs for her donors.
— Dotcom 2020 (@dotcom2020s) September 22, 2022
Kathy Hochul has offered to do one debate, on Spectrum, for an hour, weeks after absentee voting begins. Too late to hurt her, on a media product available to only 13% of New Yorkers, in a format that allows for no real exchange. Zeldin must scare the living hell out of her.
— Bob Lonsberry (@BobLonsberry) September 23, 2022
This is absolutely accurate. Most people across NY state had no idea who Kathy Hochul was before August 2021 and we have not heard her debate. As citizens of NY we deserve this.
— Margaret Nichols (@magsnichols) September 22, 2022
Fox News' Janice Dean, who has not backed down from bravely calling out former Gov. Cuomo at length over the nursing home scandal, suggested Hochul won't debate in part due to a donor scandal first reported by Chris Bragg at the Times Union earlier this week.
This may be one of the biggest reasons why @GovKathyHochul won't debate @leezeldin. What she did here is disgusting and should be investigated. https://t.co/4fKjezjPxi
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) September 16, 2022
While forecasts consider the race particularly favorable to Hochul, there are polls showing Zeldin not too far behind. A recent poll from the Trafalgar Group showed Zeldin behind by only 4.4 percentage points, while a co/efficient poll showed him behind by only 6 percentage points.
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