Keisha Lance Bottoms set for Atlanta Press Club debate without Republican rival Rick Jackson
TheGrio...
The Democratic gubernatorial candidate will appear alone as she highlights her affordability agenda ahead of Georgia’s election.
Keisha Lance Bottoms is set to take questions at the Atlanta Press Club’s gubernatorial debate without Republican rival Rick Jackson, who has declined to participate. The appearance comes as the Democrat promotes her affordability agenda and campaigns in a closely watched race.
Jackson formally declined the invitation, debate executive producer Lauri Strauss said in a report carried by GPB. Bottoms is scheduled to appear at 8 p.m. Oct. 12 at GPB’s Midtown Atlanta studios.
The Atlanta Press Club’s rules call for candidates who decline an invitation to be represented by an empty podium. Journalists prepare the questions independently, and neither the candidates nor the club receive them in advance.
The series’ standard format includes questions from a panel of journalists, a round in which candidates question one another and closing statements. The gubernatorial event is scheduled for one hour, with a live broadcast on GPB and streaming through GPB.org and the press club’s YouTube channel.
Jackson has agreed to an Oct. 6 town hall hosted by Atlanta News First. Bottoms has sought six debates and criticized his absence from a recent Macon forum. His campaign responded by accusing her of seeking his help to reach voters and deflect attention from her campaign.
For Keisha Lance Bottoms, the appearance offers another opportunity to explain proposals aimed at household costs. The former Atlanta mayor has called for giving local governments more flexibility to suspend or eliminate sales taxes on groceries, diapers and feminine hygiene products, backed by a proposed $250 million state fund.
The press club’s statewide debate series continues Oct. 13, including the U.S. Senate matchup between Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff and Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins. Recordings will remain available on the club’s YouTube channel after the events.
Georgia’s early voting begins Oct. 13, giving voters a chance to hear the gubernatorial forum the night before in-person voting opens ahead of the Nov. 3 election.