Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has been called upon by several gubernatorial candidates to join them in debates across the state; but she just can’t seem to commit.
In an interview with WHNT News 19 on Monday, Ivey was asked about her plans for debating the other candidates.
“I am focused on letting people know my record, I go wherever I can schedule going, but I’ve got to govern first and sometimes there are conflicts on when they want to debate, but my job first is to govern, and be responsive to the people,” she explained.
In March, Huntsville Mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Battle extended an invitation to Ivey to appear with him at several political events, candidate forums, and debates across the state.
Other candidates joined Battle’s call on Ivey, “I’m ready to debate anytime, anywhere,” Mobile-Republican State Sen. Bill Hightower told AL.com. “I’ve got some great ideas I want to tell Alabama about. So everybody’s talking about it but I’m ready to do it… I will do it on my own if nobody else does it. I think I’ve got the best ideas.”
“Everyone says they want a debate,” evangelist Scott Dawson said in the same report. “So if you say you’re going to debate, then the next step is actually debating.”
“I’ve extended an invitation to her to join us in sharing our vision with the people of the state of Alabama. I’ve always believed people make time for things that are important to them. The people of Alabama are important to me and sharing my plan for this state with them is important to me,” said Battle in a release on Tuesday.
WHNT asked Ivey if she would be attending the April 18 debate hosted by AL.com. She responded by saying that she is currently committed to working with the Restore Council and the NRDA Council in Mobile, Ala. that day and will not be attending.
Dawson, Battle, and Hightower have already committed to attend the debate.
Ivey faces Battle, Hightower, Dawson and Michael McAllister in the June 5 Republican primary.
