In hot congressional races, candidates plan plenty of debates
NEW HAVEN, Conn. --In the latest sign that Connecticut's congressional races will be hotly contested, U.S. Rep. Chris Shays agreed Tuesday to 11 debates with his Democratic challenger.
Shays, a Republican who represents the 4th District in Fairfield County, faces Diane Farrell, the former first selectwoman in Westport who captured 48 percent of the vote two years ago when she first ran against Shays.
"I think it's unprecedented. It's an extraordinary number of debates," said Gary Rose, a professor of politics at Sacred Heart University. "I would say it's an indication of his vulnerability. He knows his seat is in jeopardy."
Shays typically agrees to plenty of debates, said Michael Sohn, his campaign spokesman.
"It has nothing at all to do with vulnerability or polls or anything," Sohn said. "Chris believes that it's an important aspect of the process."
Farrell's campaign said it has been waiting months for Shays to agree to the debates.
"He's finally gotten around to doing it," said Jan Spiegel, Farrell's campaign spokeswoman.
The candidates had about eight debates two years ago, Spiegel and Sohn said.
Democrats can take control of the House by gaining 15 seats on Election Day.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has the 4th, 2nd and 5th district races in Connecticut on its "targeted" list, meaning candidates are getting visits and fundraising help from big-name Democrats. Well-known Republicans like former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are planning visits as well to Connecticut to help GOP candidates.
Former President George H.W. Bush was set to appear in Westbrook Wednesday to attend a fundraiser for U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, a Republican who represents the 2nd District in Eastern Connecticut.
Simmons' campaign said Tuesday that he expects to participate in about six debates with his Democratic challenger, Joe Courtney. Only two debates have been scheduled so far, according to Courtney's campaign spokesman, Brian Farber.
"We're going to take just about any debate offered to us," Farber said.
In the 5th District, Democrat Chris Murphy called on U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson on Tuesday to schedule nine debates that he said the two campaigns had agreed to in writing earlier this summer.
"During her month off from work in Washington, I would have thought that Nancy Johnson would have been hearing the same cry for debate that I have been hearing as I go door-to-door and go to community events," Murphy said. "With only nine weeks until the election, I will continue to tell voters where I stand on issues important to them. Nancy Johnson appears unwilling to do so."
Johnson has agreed to six debates, "which is six more than Murphy held when he ran for re-election in 2004," said Brian Schubert, Johnson's campaign manager.
