State Sen.Victoria Spartz, the Republican nominee for Indiana’s 5th District seat, today challenged Democratic nominee Christina Hale to at least three debates before the Nov. 3 general election.
Spartz suggested a September debate hosted by Indiana Town Halls and challenged Hale to agree to at least two more debates hosted by neutral organizations and moderators.
“Fifth District Hoosiers should have the opportunity to hear directly from their candidates for Congress in multiple debates,” Spartz stated. “Hoosiers have a clear choice between my record of standing up to the establishment in both parties and working with Governor (Eric) Holcomb to strengthen our economy, protect Hoosiers with pre-existing conditions, and make government more efficient and effective, and Christina Hale’s record of opposing all the major reforms of Governors Daniels, Pence and Holcomb that led to record prosperity in Indiana’s 5th district.
“Christina Hale is trying to reinvent herself as a moderate, but just last week she was endorsed by far-left Democrat Elizabeth Warren. Hale has been handpicked by the Washington establishment because they know Hale will vote to make Nancy Pelosi the Speaker of the House and push the button for every item on Pelosi’s out-of-touch, partisan agenda.”
As of press time, Hale had not returned Current’s request for a response to Spartz’s challenge.
It was not immediately clear what mitigation efforts the candidates would implement during the COVID-19 pandemic if debates were scheduled.
U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, who was first elected in 2012, last year announced she would vacate the state’s 5th District seat and not seek reelection in 2020. Spartz and Hale – along with Ken Tucker, a Libertarian – now compete for the seat, which pundits regard as a seat that could be won by either party.
Spartz, Indiana’s District 20 state senator representing Noblesville, defeated 14 candidates in June to earn the Republican nomination. She received 39.7 percent of votes in the Republican primary. No other candidate received more than 18 percent of votes.
Hale, a former state representative, defeated four Democratic challengers in June, securing 40.8 percent of votes. Her closest challenger garnered 27.1 percent of votes.
