Jim Pillen and Charles W. Herbster, front-runners in the Republican primary race for Nebraska governor, are facing criticism for failing to commit to an upcoming debate hosted by two local news outlets.
Editors at KMTV and the Omaha World-Herald have been planning a debate among the top four Republican candidates, aiming to broadcast the debate live before early voting starts for the May 10 primary. KMTV took the lead on coordinating and communicating with the campaigns.
Geoff Roth, news director at KMTV, reached out to the campaigns for Pillen, Herbster, state Sen. Brett Lindstrom and former Sen. Theresa Thibodeau on Dec. 28 to schedule the event for March 21.
The email included a tentative set of rules: A journalist from each outlet would serve as moderator, it says, and ask "serious, issue-oriented questions." The candidates would each get a minute to respond, and there could be follow-up questions. Any candidate who’s personally attacked would have a chance to respond.
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The candidates would not be allowed notes or prepared statements, the rules read, but could take notes.
Roth said he received the Lindstrom campaign’s acceptance within a week and Thibodeau’s a few days later. But he never heard back from Herbster or Pillen after that email or a follow-up.
Last week, Roth said he called both campaigns. Pillen’s never followed up, he said, and Herbster’s said the date wouldn’t work. When Roth asked for alternative dates that would work, the staffer cited a busy schedule and also never followed up, he said.
At that point, Roth said organizers made the assumption that neither wanted to participate. So, he emailed the Lindstrom and Thibodeau campaigns Monday to tell them the event was on hold.
“In the three years that I’ve been the news director here, we’ve done several debates,†Roth said, noting congressional and mayoral races. “And we’ve never had top candidates running for a major office just not accept a proposal to do a debate.â€
Thibodeau was quick to condemn her opponents’ apparent dodge in a statement posted to Twitter.
“Jim Pillen and Charles Herbster’s unwillingness to participate in an open debate proves that they cannot adequately address the critical issues facing our state,†she said.
“As candidates who seek to lead Nebraska, we are responsible for communicating our positions to the voters. Pillen and Herbster’s refusal begs the question: If they are incapable of a public debate, are they committed to addressing the concern of Nebraska voters.â€
In the statement, Thibodeau’s campaign said the two front-runners wouldn’t debate unless questions were provided in advance. However, Roth said that was never part of the discussion — the candidates' unwillingness to commit was interpreted to mean they didn’t accept.
Lindstrom’s campaign said in a statement that the senator’s focus “remains solely on the people of Nebraska — not any political distractions.â€
“We look forward to upholding our commitments by participating in the debates ahead of us, answering the tough questions directly and meeting with the great people of our state throughout the campaign and beyond to share our message of a New Generation of Conservative Leadership,†campaign manager Tori Mahoney said.
Pillen was questioned about the decision not to debate at a news conference in the Capitol on Tuesday. He was there to announce another big-ticket endorsement, this one from the Nebraska Farm Bureau. Gov. Pete Ricketts recently endorsed Pillen at a similar event.
Asked about the decision not to debate, Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and livestock producer, mentioned debates at a Farm Bureau forum in December, a “Cow Country Gubernatorial Forum†at Hyannis High School in January, and another forum coming up this week in Lincoln.
“We’re getting our message out across the state,†he said. “And we’re getting it out eyeball-to-eyeball.â€
In a prepared statement after the news conference, campaign manager Kenny Zoeller said the two forums Pillen has participated in so far didn’t provide questions in advance.
"Jim is the only candidate in this race to have campaigned in all 93 Nebraska counties,†Zoeller said. “We have never requested questions in advance as a condition of participation in a debate, and any assertion to the contrary is false.â€
Herbster campaign manager Ellen Keast also said the campaign never asked for questions and said they "technically never declined to participate in the debate." Asked if they were willing to participate in a debate, Keast said she had no comment.
Among other gubernatorial forums held so far was a town hall in Weeping Water that Pillen and Herbster did not attend, and a Lincoln County Cattlemen forum that Herbster attended but Pillen did not, according to KNOP-TV. Herbster and Pillen also did not attend a forum in November hosted by the Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska, according to the online news site Sandhills Express.
The state GOP announced in October that it would hold three debates, but has not announced any details.
Thursday, the Nebraska Chamber is hosting a forum in Lincoln for which candidates have been provided questions in advance. All four of the candidates are slated to attend, along with Democratic candidate Carol Blood and another Republican candidate, Breland Ridenour.