RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Ray Luján said Sunday that work on a COVID-19 relief bill and other pressing Congressional business might keep him away from an early October U.S. Senate debate against Republican challenger Mark Ronchetti.
Luján’s campaign told The Associated Press that his duties in Congress to pass a coronavirus relief package and rescue the U.S. Postal Service may prevent him from joining a scheduled Oct. 5 debate on KOB-TV.
“That’s why the Luján campaign had decided that an early October debate would detract from his work on behalf of New Mexicans,” Travis Brimm, Luján’s U.S. Senate campaign manager, said in a statement. “That being said, if the Congressional schedule wraps up by October 5th and responsibilities shift to allow Ben Ray to attend the KOB/Santa Fe New Mexican debate, he will be there.”
Luján has agreed to join a debate sponsored by KOAT-TV and the Albuquerque Journal and another one hosted by PBS-affiliate KNME-TV.
He has not confirmed that he’ll join the KOB-TV debate. The station said it would still hold the debate with an empty podium for Luján.
Ronchetti has accused Luján of “hiding” from voters by not accepting debate offers from the other outlets. His campaign said it wasn’t buying Luján’s reasoning about possibly skipping the KOB-TV debate.
“It’s disappointing that Ben Ray Luján continues to make excuses for ducking debates,” Ronchetti campaign spokesman Jeff Glassburner said. “He’s had no problem coming to New Mexico to film false TV attack ads, but he refuses to commit to debate.”
Ronchetti, a former television meteorologist, wanted Luján to agree to the KOB-TV debate and another one with KRQE-TV, where Ronchetti used to work.
