With a little more than 50 days til the election — and less than three weeks before absentee ballots are mailed to voters — Democrat incumbent Congresswomen Donna Shalala and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell are ready and eager to debate the Republicans that want to unseat them.
Mayor Carlos Giménez, who is running in District 26 against DMC, and journalist Maria Elvira Salazar, who is running against Shalala in District 27? Not so much.
For Shalala and Salazar it’s a rematch. The former University of Miami president beat the Spanish-language TV pundit 52% to 46% in 2018, when the seat was vacated by a retiring Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. In that race, Salazar only debated in Spanish. Her English is fine.
Interestingly enough, two of the three debates Shalala agreed to are in Spanish, anyway: On Actualidad Radio (1040 AM) Oct. 15 with Roberto Rodriguez Tejera and on Univision 23 Oct. 22 with Ambrosio Hernandez. She has also agreed to a debate on Oct. 16 with CBS4’s Jim DeFede.
“These debates will be an opportunity to talk about real solutions — not partisan talking points — and our respective records of getting things done for our community,” Shalala said in a statement, knowing full well that Salazar has no record of getting things done in the community.
“I look forward to continuing that conversation with the voters, as I share my vision and my plans on how I will continue to lead in addressing this health crisis, getting our economy back on track, standing up to dictatorial regimes and fighting for South Florida,” Shalala said, challenging Salazar to accept all three invitations to debate.
Mucarsel-Powell announced last week that she accepted invitations for three debates, two of them also in Spanish. They are at Telemundo 51, CBS Miami and Radio Actualidad (1040 AM).
Read related:Carlos Gimenez loses first congressional challenge — in court — for bad check
“South Floridians are facing challenges we’ve never faced before, from an economic recession to a pandemic that is still not under control. While we may disagree on many issues, I am sure we can agree that the voters deserve to hear where we each stand, in English and in Spanish,” Mucarsel-Powell said in a statement. “I hope Mayor Giménez is willing to debate and defend his record before the voters — because I’m proud of my record.”
Giménez campaign spokeswoman Nikki Rapanos told Florida Politics they had not yet decided whether they would accept any invitation other than the one from WPLG Local 10’s This Week In South Florida, hosted by Glenna Milberg and the Gimenez friendly Michael Putney.
His Spanish is also pretty spotty.
Rapanos said Giménez was looking forward to exposing DMP’s “record of divisiveness and extreme partisanship.”
Um, what? Divisiveness? Extreme? Mucarsel-Powell could be the hardest working woman in Washington.
Read related: New and improved Corrupt Carlos Gimenez video exposes ‘family ties.’
Ladra is looking forward to the debates as well, and for Corrupt Carlos to try to defend his quid pro quo no-bid million dollar deals to friends and family — like the most recent rapid bus transit contract (more on that later) — and his magic shell game with the budget.
It’s no wonder Giménez hasn’t accepted any invitations — and he likely won’t. Giménez doesn’t gain anything by more debates. He can only lose. So it’s reasonable that the campaign arranges one carefully curated debate it can control somewhat and that’s it.
Mucarsel-Powell should start showing up at meetings — the budget hearing on Thursday is a good one — and press conferences to ask the questions that would be asked at debates.
GOP congressional candidates reluctant to debate Democrat incumbents added by Ladra on
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