No debates in Florida: Jolly rejects Donalds, Moody does same to her democratic rival
Republican and Democratic candidates are accusing each other of avoiding head-to-head debates, while opportunities for voters to compare their platforms ahead of the Nov. 3 election are dwindling.
Byron Donalds in Dallas, Texas/ Patrick T. Fallon
The Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, David Jolly, announced that he will not participate in any debates with Republican Byron Donalds before the election. Jolly justified his decision by arguing that the debates would not promote a "constructive" and "honest" conversation but would instead contribute to increasing political confrontation in the Sunshine State.
Jolly, who served in the House of Representatives from 2013-19 as a Republican, won the Democratic nomination for governor and hopes to defeat Donalds in the election on Nov. 3. In a statement, he confirmed that he would not participate in any debates.
"It is clear, given the tenor of the current campaign environment, including Byron's repeated lies and bad faith, that debates this cycle would not create constructive, honest conversation and would only further stoke division, animosity and bad will. That's not something I wish to do for our state," the Democrat said.
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"I look forward to the final six weeks of this campaign, crisscrossing the state and meeting voters in their communities-red, blue, and purple-and look forward to an election night that will bring new leadership to the State of Florida," he added.
For his part, Donalds had previously accepted three invitations to debate the Democrat on Telemundo/NBC 6, News4Jax and Spectrum News. "Floridians deserve to see these two candidates face to face and hear exactly what they would do as governors," said Ryan Smith, Donalds' chief campaign strategist.
A similar scenario unfolded in the Florida Senate race , where Republican Senator Ashley Moody rejected three offers to debate her Democratic opponent, Angie Nixon. According to Florida Politics, Moody maintained that she was unwilling to give Nixon "either a platform or attention" due to her progressive views. The senator claimed that Nixon has even cited the Communist Manifesto during her public appearances.
Nixon, a state representative endorsed by Bernie Sanders, represents Jacksonville and entered politics after working for years as a community organizer and activist. She was first elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2020 and has since established herself as one of the most progressive voices in the state legislature.
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