Arizona gubernatorial nominee Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who currently serves as the state's secretary of state, has gone to extraordinary lengths to dodge a public debate with her Republican opponent, Trump-backed former news anchor Kari Lake . Indeed, Hobbs's repeated efforts to avoid a debate have drawn so much attention that they’ve become an issue of their own.
There are several reasons why Hobbs would choose to steer clear of a debate.
First, she may not want voters to discover just how liberal her positions are. Hobbs has said there should be no legal limits on abortion, for example. In contrast, Lake wants to limit abortion to the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. Hobbs has also described being "outraged" at the Supreme Court ’s decision to strike down New York’s concealed carry gun law in June.
