Portland gubernatorial debate still on: organizer
The Portland Community Chamber’s gubernatorial debate is still scheduled for Oct. 8 with all three candidates, despite Gov. Paul LePage’s statement on Monday that he may skip all debates.
Chris Hall, CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber, which oversees the community chamber, told Mainebiz that he has not received any formal notification from LePage that he wouldn't attend.
Hall said the chamber has received formal commitments from the campaigns for the Republican governor, Democrat Mike Michaud and independent Eliot Cutler. He said the chamber checked in with all three campaigns last week and was told they they all still plan to attend the chamber’s Eggs & Issues debate event at Portland’s Holiday Inn By The Bay.
“We’re going on the assumption that we’re going to have all three candidates,” Hall said, but added the chamber will respond and act accordingly if any changes become official.
LePage said earlier this week that he would not attend debates with Michaud present if the U.S. representative doesn't denounce an advertisement by a third party that attacks LePage for comparing Social Security to welfare, a claim the governor has said is false and stems from a flap over an economic report released in June.
“Michael Michaud has the right to his opinion; he does not have the right to fabricate information,” LePage campaign spokesman Alex Willette said in a prepared statement on Monday. “This false attack on the governor causes him to question the value of debating Michael Michaud who clearly has no problem not being honest with the Maine people.”
Though Michaud has said that he will not denounce the ad, Hall said he didn't take LePage’s statement as definitive and therefore has not made any changes to the event. “If we get word someone won’t be there, we will respond but that has not happened,” he said.
Michaud and Cutler have said they will attend the debates even if LePage is not present.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Comments