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No Debates For Senate Runoff

Wallis Watkins

Just under two weeks remain until the United States Senate runoff is decided in Louisiana. Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, a Democrat, appeared at the Baton Rouge Press Club Monday. 

His opponent, Republican State Treasurer John Kennedy, declined the invitation. It’s one of three debates the candidate has said ‘no’ to.

"Mr. Kennedy didn’t want to debate. That’s a fact,” said Campbell.

Last week, Kennedy announced he would not be participating in a televised debate with WVLA/Nexstar which was meant to be held in front of a live audience.

According to Campbell, Kennedy "said he would only debate if I came and he came and the moderator came. He didn’t want any live audience there.”

There will be no debates between the two Senate candidates in this runoff.  

Kennedy likely feels pretty secure based on the polls. The most recent independent poll shows Kennedy with 48% and Campbell with 27%. And on November 8th, Louisiana went solidly red for Trump.

But this is the last open Senate seat in the country. And that’s driven national media attention towards Campbell.  

“People from all over the United States are calling me," he said, "but they’re not sending me big fat checks like Mr. Kennedy is getting. I’m getting little checks, $15, $20, $10.”

But support from the national Democratic establishment has yet to be seen.

“We just hadn’t had any help from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee," explained Campbell. 

Early voting for the runoffs opened Saturday. The election will be held December 10th.