Stefanik, Cobb disagree on debate schedule

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, and Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb disagree on many things, including the schedule for their televised debates.

Last week, Stefanik announced they had agreed to debates at WWNY in Watertown on Oct. 19; at WPTZ in Plattsburgh on Oct. 21; and at Spectrum News in Albany on a tentative date of Oct. 23.

The news release highlighted that the debates would be broadcast in each of the NY-21 Congressional District’s major media markets.

But Cobb spokeswoman Mauranda Simmons said Tuesday that Cobb has only confirmed the debates at WWNY and WPTZ. Cobb has not agreed to the debate at Spectrum and is finalizing details for a debate at Mountain Lake PBS at a date to be announced.

Simmons said she did not have an answer to why Stefanik was proposing a different schedule.

“Those are three we agreed to at this point,” Simmons said.

The Stefanik campaign said negotiations with the television studios have been going on for months.

Stefanik said Tuesday in a telephone interview that Cobb had agreed to all three debates, including the one at Spectrum News in Albany.

“That is par for the course and it’s a slap in the face to voters,” Stefanik said. “She wants to avoid having a debate in the place that reaches all the media market in the area.”

“As Tedra Cobb continues to hide from voters, it’s not surprising that she cowardly backed away from the biggest debate,” Stefanik said.

Stefanik said the goal is to have a debate in each media market. She will be at the Albany event — whether or not Cobb is there, she said.

Stefanik campaign spokeswoman Maddie Anderson said the agreement was that WPTZ would be the exclusive debate for the Plattsburgh media market. Holding the event at the PBS station would break the agreement.

Anderson added that the Spectrum debate is overwhelmingly the most viewed.

Simmons said the campaign did not agree to the Spectrum debate, so it is not backing out of a commitment.

Cobb’s campaign manager, Gabie Hart, accused Stefanik of skipping the public television debate in favor of the Spectrum debate.

“Elise Stefanik is dodging a debate with a highly respected and watched public broadcasting station. Traditionally, the Mountain Lake PBS debate has been viewed widely across the district and made free and accessible on YouTube, Facebook, public radio and the station’s website.

“It’s unfortunate that Stefanik will not agree to the third debate without corporate sponsorship,” Hart said in an email.

Hart provided a report showing that Stefanik has received $10,000 from Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum News, during this election cycle. Charter Communications also has donated $10,000 to Stefanik’s E-PAC, which raises money to get Republican women elected to public office.