The Katie Britt for Senate campaign has declined a request to debate U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Huntsville). The debate would have been syndicated across the state and hosted by Gray TV and Alabama Daily News on June 14.
Alabama Daily News’ Todd Stacy revealed the news on Twitter, saying, “[W]e thought we had a solid date for a runoff debate on June 14, but that fell apart after a week of talks.”
RE our now-nixed #ALSEN debate w/ @WBRCnews, see a statement from the Katie Britt campaign explaining why she’s not interested in a face-off w/ Mo Brooks. Again, we thought we had a solid date for a runoff debate on June 14, but that fell apart after a week of talks.#alpolitics pic.twitter.com/pvdihpCwjQ
— Todd Stacy (@toddcstacy) June 2, 2022
The Britt campaign said in a statement that Brooks just “wants a circus.”
“Mo Brooks doesn’t want a debate: he wants a circus,” said the campaign. “That’s the only thing he’s capable of. He doesn’t want to talk about his do-nothing record, because he hasn’t accomplished anything for Alabamians throughout his 40 years living off the taxpayer dime. Instead, Mo Brooks will undoubtedly resort to embarrassing our state with false, desperate personal attacks. We are seeing his lies get more blatant by the day, and there is no way that a constructive or substantive debate can occur with his continually devolving behavior. Katie won’t participate in the final circus act of Mo’s career.”
The statement also said that Britt was going to focus on bringing her message directly to the people of the Yellowhammer State.
“[S]he will continue to work tirelessly and travel to every corner of Alabama to share her conservative message, listen to Alabamians, and answer their questions,” the campaign said. “Alabamians are rallying behind Katie’s campaign because they want fresh blood and they know she is the best candidate to defend our Christian conservative values, fight for the America First agenda, and preserve the American Dream for our children and our children’s children.”
Brooks put out his own statement in response, calling Britt “weak” for backing out of the debate.
“Katie Britt’s flip-flops are too numerous to count,” Brooks argued. “In the primary she said a candidate who won’t debate should not get any citizen’s vote. Now, yet again, she flip-flops as she gets more shrill, more negative and more vitriolic. While I disagree with ‘June’ Katie Britt, I agree with ‘April’ Katie Britt. If she is too weak to stand on a stage and take Mo Brooks on, how can anyone expect her to take on Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders, or any of the other Socialist Democrats that are destroying America. Katie Britt’s debate refusal is an admission of profound weakness at a time America needs fighters in the U.S. Senate, not pushovers. As my record reflects, I am exactly the fighter America needs at this critical juncture in history.”
I want to debate @KatieBrittforAL so Alabamians know where each of us stands on the issues. Britt refuses to debate me because she knows I’m able to expose the ridiculous lies her team has launched against me with McConnell’s out-of-state funds. https://t.co/pYDckE5lFI
— Mo Brooks (@MoBrooks) June 2, 2022
Britt and Brooks will face off in the June 21 Republican primary runoff election to see who will be the GOP’s nominee to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa).
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” Weekdays 9-11am on WVNN. You can follow him on Twitter @Yaffee
