Sen. Mike Lee skips debate; challengers still focus attacks on him
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KUTV) — It was Becky Edwards, Ally Isom and an empty podium for the second of two debates in the GOP race for U.S. Senate, in roughly 24 hours.
Senator Mike Lee, who took part in the debate sponsored by the Republican Party Wednesday night, skipped the independent Utah Debate Commission session Thursday evening at the Triad Center.
If it were an opportunity for the challengers to differentiate themselves from one another, Lee was almost exclusively in the line of attack.
“With all due respect to Senator Lee, he is one of the most egregious contributors to that gridlock and obstructionism in the entire United States Senate,“ said Edwards.
“He’s not here to be held accountable," said Isom, as a debate camera showed the vacant podium, “which if I’m not mistaken, is a basic principle of the Republican Party.“
Isom and Edwards cast Lee as out of touch with Utah constituents.
“Over and over, I’m hearing the very same thing from them,“ said Edwards, “‘we can’t get in to see Mike Lee.’”
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Isom accused Lee of letting Utah down “in the hour that it most mattered.”
But in a Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll last month, conducted by Dan Jones & Associates of people who plan to vote in the Republican primary, Lee reportedly had a big lead with 49%, Edwards was second with 19%, and Isom had just 6%.
Lee also overwhelmingly won over party delegates at the GOP’s state convention.
After that, 2News was the first to report Isom’s call for Edwards to drop out of the race, calling Edwards too liberal to win among GOP conservative voters.
Isom noted Thursday night Edwards voted for President Biden.
Edwards said she has consistently led Isom in the polls, and in both debates this week, voiced her support for the 2nd Amendment.
2News asked Lee why he decided not to debate Thursday night.
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“In a Republican primary, we ought to have a debate run by, or at least run with the consultation of the Republican Party,” he replied. “The debate commission has a right to exist, but it’s got a lot of people on it, most of whom are not Republicans.”
When the latest debate was over, the challengers were direct why they keep the focus on Lee—rather than each other—with four weeks left before the primary.
“You know, Senator Lee is the reason I got into this race,“ said Isom, “because I thought Utah needed a different kind of leadership."
“At the end of the day, I’m not here to debate Ally,“ Edwards said. “I’m here to debate Mike Lee."
