The June 27 presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump may have been the most consequential debate in U.S. history. It led to a cascade of voices calling for the incumbent to exit the race. Now, millions of Americans will tune in on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to watch Trump debate the new nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.
But for Mississippians, it is a reminder that so few of our elected officials feel the need to debate challengers.
For instance, Mississippi’s senior U.S. senator, 15-year Republican incumbent Roger Wicker, has not agreed to debate an opponent since he first won the seat by defeating former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove in a close special election in 2008. His Democratic opponent this year, Ty Pinkins, has repeatedly urged him to debate with no response.
Mississippi’s junior U.S. senator, six-year incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, last debated in 2018 when she defeated Democratic opponent Mike Espy in a close special election (though she refused to join an earlier debate that would’ve included Republican opponent Chris McDaniel); she declined to debate Espy in a 2020 rematch.
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No U.S. House representative from Mississippi has debated an opponent as an incumbent. That includes U.S. House Rep. Trent Kelly, an eight-year Republican incumbent; U.S. House Rep. Bennie Thompson, a 31-year Democratic incumbent; U.S. House Rep. Michael Guest, a five-year Republican incumbent; and U.S. House Rep. Mike Ezell, a two-year Republican incumbent. This year is the first time Ezell has had an opportunity to debate as an incumbent, but so far, no debate has been scheduled between him and his Democratic opponent Craig Raybon. Remember: U.S. House members run for reelection every two years.
Sometimes, Mississippi politicians win office without ever debating an opponent. That happened in 2019, when Mississippi voters first elected Lynn Fitch as attorney general. Not only did she refuse to debate her Democratic opponent, Jennifer Riley Collins, but Republican voters also gave her their party’s nomination even though she refused to debate her GOP primary opponents Andy Taggart and Mark
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