Candidates in Iowa 1st District race debating about debates

CEDAR RAPIDS – Iowa 1st District Rep. Bruce Braley and Republican challenger Ben Lange agree on one thing – they want a series of debates to give voters an opportunity to make a side-by-side comparison.

They just can't agree on how many opportunities to give voters.

Braley, a Waterloo Democrat, has proposed three debates in the major metro centers of the 20-county district.

The Lange campaign “will absolutely commit to five debates,” campaign manager Cody Brown said, but it would like five debates.

Braley proposed a televised debate on KCRG-TV 9 Sept. 28, an Oct. 10debate in Cedar Falls on Iowa Public Radio and a televised debate in Dubuque on Iowa Public TelevisionNov. 1 debate – five days before Election Day.

He suggested the debates begin early so Iowans, who are expected to vote by mail or in-person beginning Sept. 27, have a chance to hear directly from the candidates. Two years ago, about one-third of Iowa voters cast ballots ahead of Election Day.

“Rep. Braley and Mr. Lange may disagree about many things, but I'm sure they agree that the people of Iowa deserve a chance to know where candidates for public office stand on the issues affecting their lives and our country,” said Braley campaign adviser Molly Scherrman. Giving Iowans the chance to ask candidates “unscreened questions and hear honest, unrehearsed answers is the best way to educate voters about the choice they have this fall.”

Brown thinks increasing the number of debates would “allow more voters the opportunity to more clearly understand the differences between Ben and Bruce.”

The Lange campaign is proposing debates in four metro counties – Linn, Dubuque, Black Hawk and Marshall – and at least one more in a rural area, perhaps the northern end of the district.

“We'll stick with the three,” Scherrman responded. Three debates give voters “ample opportunity” to see the candidates, especially since the public television and radio debates offer statewide coverage.

Two years ago, Braley and Lange appeared on public television and participated in a debate at Wartburg College.

Debates will clearly show the differences between the candidates who squared off two years ago with Braley winning by a margin of less than 2 percent, Brown said.

“We believe this election is ultimately will be about the issues,” he explained. He doesn't think 1st District voters agree with Braley on the issues. “Whether it's health care or the national debt, we want to make sure the voters clearly understand the differences between where Ben is coming down on these issues and Bruce is coming down in them.”

It's somewhat unusual for incumbents to be proposing debates. Challengers want to appear side-by-side with the incumbent as a way of appearing as an equal and to get the valuable media coverage that comes with a debate.

“Typically the incumbent is less inclined to debate a challenger for the exclusive reason they don't want to give the challenger an opportunity to increase name ID,” Brown said. However, given that Braley defeated Lange by less than 2 percentage points two years ago, that's not much of a factor.

“In this election, Ben's not too far behind in name ID,” Brown said. “So the original obstacle that an incumbent would have isn't there.”

Even if that's the case, Brown said the Lange campaign will commit to five debates “because we want to get as much as exposure as we can.”

Scherrman didn't think it was unusual for an incumbent to propose debates.

Besides, she said, “It's also a new district so he's got to get in front of new voters who need to get to know him.”