Battleground Candidates Skip Debates to Preserve Polling Advantages Across Key States

Across multiple swing districts, candidates from both parties are shunning public debates, believing that staying off the stage limits exposure to attacks and preserves their polling edges. The strategy recalls Katie Hobbs' 2022 Arizona gubernatorial campaign, where she declined a debate with Kari Lake and won by a slim margin. In Florida, Rep. Byron Donalds cited his single-digit lead as the reason for refusing to debate primary opponents, and he subsequently secured the Republican nomination for governor.

Arizona Governor Hobbs has similarly ruled out a debate with Republican challenger Rep. Andy Biggs, arguing that direct voter engagement is more effective than a staged forum. Senate contenders Roy Cooper and Michael Whatley in North Carolina remain at an impasse, though Cooper indicates willingness to discuss a debate despite an 8-point lead. On the House side, New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. limited himself to one debate, drawing criticism from former opponent Sue Altman, while Maryland Governor Wes Moore and his GOP challenger Dan Cox have agreed to a debate, and Maine Senator Susan Collins has invited Democratic rival Troy Jackson to four debates, which he has not accepted.