US Senate debate planned at Mackinac Policy Conference canceled after candidates decline
The Chamber canceled the event after frontrunner candidates Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin declined to participate.
Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich.
The U.S. Senate debate scheduled to take place at the Mackinac Policy Conference next week has been canceled, the Detroit Regional Chamber announced Wednesday.
The Chamber canceled the event after frontrunner candidates Republican Mike Rogers and Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin declined to participate, according to a press release.
“The leading candidates’ refusal to engage in this vital forum points to a deeply concerning trend,” the release said. “It undermines our democratic process and hampers our state’s progress. This is a clear reflection of today’s political dynamics, which increasingly discourage candidates from directly addressing voters’ concerns.”
According to the Chamber, debate participants were extended invitations to participate in the debate on April 30 after gauging each campaign’s interest.
Many political figures have taken part in debates at the conference over the years, the Chamber said, including Gov. Rick Snyder, Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Sen. Gary Peters, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The Chamber said the decision to cancel this year’s debate “marks a significant departure from a tradition of civic engagement and public discourse.”
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