JACKSON — Mississippi voters are unlikely to see their state’s appointed U.S. senator in a face-to-face debate with her three challengers before next month’s special election to fill the end of a six-year term.
The only two scheduled campaign debates are falling apart because Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith said she would not participate if she has to be at work in Washington and Democratic challenger Mike Espy said he would not debate without her there. That left Republican Chris McDaniel and Democrat Tobey Bernard Bartee.
Sponsors of both debates backed out, saying they wanted to give people a chance to compare all the candidates.
Early this week, Millsaps College and Mississippi Public Broadcasting canceled a debate that had been scheduled for Thursday.
On Friday, Clarion Ledger editor Sam Hall announced cancellation of the Oct. 23 debate the newspaper was sponsoring with WLBT-TV, the League of Woman Voters and the Mississippi Bar Association. Asked whether the event will happen if Hyde-Smith and Espy agree to participate, Hall said: “Anything’s possible.”
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