Ashley Ehasz, the Democratic candidate running for the First District in Pennsylvania, has challenged her opponent, GOP Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick to a televised debate, according to a press release issued on Wednesday by the campaign.
Typically, Bucks County Community College hosts the first congressional district’s candidate debate, but will not this year, a spokesperson for the Ehasz campaign said. They are seeking another venue to host a debate if Fitzpatrick agrees.
BCCC Associate Vice President for Student and Veteran Affairs Kevin LaVigne Antoine responded to inquiries from the Bucks County Beacon, but had few details to offer as to why the event was canceled. To the best of his recollection, no dates had been selected for the event, and this was further complicated when William Pezza, a professor in the History Department at Bucks County Community College, decided he did not wish to host this year’s event.
“Bucks and Montgomery County voters deserve the opportunity to hear directly from the candidates, particularly as my opponent Brian Fitzpatrick obscures his own anti-abortion voting record and he cozies up to MAGA extremists like Jim Jordan and Speaker Mike Johnson,” said Ehasz.
Local Democrats also believe that Republican incumbent Fitzpatrick, who is not open to hosting town halls with constituents, should at the very least participate in a debate or two – for democracy’s sake.
“It is my firm belief that Mr. Fitzpatrick should agree to debates. Fitzpatrick has refused to hold even one open town hall meeting during his entire time in office,” said Renée Donahey, a constituent in PA-01.“Constituents do not know his views on issues important to us. While I and others have called his office, frequently his staff tells us that Fitzpatrick has not decided on his position. When constituents send letters to him requesting his views on issues, his responses either do not address the questions asked, or they are uninformative or noncommittal … Fitzpatrick is supposed to represent his constituents, he is supposed to speak for us in Washington, but it is not possible for him to speak for us as he refuses to speak with us.”
“Brian Fitzpatrick owes it to the people of Pennsylvania’s First Congressional district to participate in a debate. All representatives, or those who seek that position, have an obligation to their constituents to tell them exactly where they stand on matters of consequence, so voters can make an informed decision on their ballot,” said Kierstyn Zolfo of Indivisible Bucks County. “For a person like Brian Fitzpatrick, who already shuns town halls and media interactions, to abandon the long tradition of congressional debates in our district, shows the contempt he has for the people in our community.”
Ehasz noted the high stakes of this debate, especially for women.
“The stakes of this election could not be higher. PA-01 is an overwhelmingly pro-choice district that is currently represented by an overwhelmingly anti-abortion extremist who is more concerned with catering to his party bosses in Washington than the hardworking people in Pennsylvania’s First District,” Ehasz said. “Bucks and Montgomery communities should be able to hear directly from their leaders. I stand ready to debate, because I am ready to lead. Are you, Brian?”
