The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association has canceled its proposed gubernatorial debate after Tom Tiffany turned down the invitation.
That leaves the GOP congressman and Dem Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley set to meet just once ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
Along with the WBA announcement, a Tiffany spokesperson told WisPolitics the campaign had declined a debate offer from WTMJ-TV as the network looked for a new date for its proposed debate.
That leaves the Oct. 21 debate hosted by WISN-TV and the “UpFront” network, including WisPolitics, as the only one Tiffany and Crowley have jointly agreed to attend.
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The WBA Foundation said in a statement that legal precedent requires multiple candidates to participate in order to air a debate.
“Two invitations were sent and both had to be accepted in order to have a debate. That did not happen,” the foundation said.
The WBA has been hosting gubernatorial debates in every cycle since 1990.
Crowley campaign manager Garren Randolph said the county executive had accepted the WBA invitation and planned to participate in the WTMJ debate as the network looked for a new date. It had originally proposed an Oct. 8 debate.
WISN-TV announced last week both campaigns had agreed to a debate moderated by “UpFront” hosts Matt Smith and Gerron Jordan.
“We look forward to debating Congressman Tiffany on October 21 and speaking directly with Wisconsinites about why David Crowley is the right choice to deliver for working families and serve as a governor for all Wisconsinites,” Randolph said.
The single debate between the two candidates will match 2022, when Dem Gov. Tony Evers and GOP challenger Tim Michels, a businessman, met once. In 2018, then-state Superintendent Evers and then-GOP Gov. Scott Walker debated twice.