The campaign for Katie Britt has declined a request to debate U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks. 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 stated on Twitter, “RE our now-nixed #ALSEN debate w/ @WBRCnews, see a statement from the Katie Britt campaign 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.”
The Britt campaign argued that the debate would only be a “circus.”
“Mo Brooks doesn’t want a debate: he wants a circus. 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,” the release stated. “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.”
Brooks released a statement describing Britt as “weak” and “shrill.”
“Katie Britt’s flip-flops are too numerous to count. 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, Brooks stated. “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.”
Stacy posted another Tweet regarding the debate. “FWIW, I definitely understand the Britt campaign’s rationale. Given the results of election night (45-29), Britt has little to gain and lots to lose in a debate. And Brooks does have every incentive to make it a circus. Just disappointed we won’t get a debate,” Stacy stated.
The Republican primary runoff election is June 21, 2022.
