Lake agrees to debate Gallego after asking for extra time to decide

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake on Thursday agreed to appear in a debate with her Democratic opponent, Congressman Ruben Gallego, in advance of the November election, a decision that came a week after Gallego said yes on the original deadline.

Lake had been dithering on participating in a face-off with Gallego sponsored by the Arizona Clean Elections Commission. Lake asked for an extra week to decide after herself raising doubts about whether she would debate, while Gallego quickly agreed.

The hour-long debate, to be held on Oct. 9 and broadcast on multiple television stations across the state and streamed online, will likely be the only chance for voters to see the two take questions side-by-side in a race that could swing control of the U.S. Senate. Two veteran Arizona journalists will moderate: Steve Goldstein and Nohelani Graf.

The commission organizes candidate debates for U.S. Senate and congressional candidates as well as state and some local offices that are widely viewed across the state.

Lake's delay in signing up to participate baffled some political observers. That’s because polls show Gallego as having a, edge in the race and Lake had been vocal in criticizing her 2022 opponent in the race for governor, now-Gov. Katie Hobbs, for refusing to participate in one.

But Lake raised doubts about a Clean Elections-sponsored debate after winning last month’s GOP primary election, pointing to a dust-up two years ago during her failed run for governor. Hobbs refused to debate her, but Arizona PBS, which was hosting the Clean Elections debates at the time, gave Hobbs the same half-hour interview Lake got under commission rules.

The Clean Elections Commission quickly responded by ending its long-running partnership with PBS to broadcast debate, but Lake still blamed the commission even though PBS made the offer to Hobbs without its approval.

That was still irking Lake last month, and she told NBC News she wanted to instead find "a fair place, a fair platform to do' a debate.

This year, Clean Elections announced a new partnership to produce, air and distribute their debates though the Arizona Media Association.

Lake’s decision on Thursday came a day before she is set to appear at a Phoenix-area rally with Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Gallego addressed the Democratic National Convention in a prime-time Thursday night speech.

"We appreciate the candidates’ willingness to step onto the stage and speak directly to Arizona voters, who have come to trust the Clean Elections debate programming as a top source of voter education,'' commission Voter Education Director Gina Roberts said in a statement.

The commission is also working to host debates for Republican and Democratic candidates for all nine Arizona congressional districts, but participation is spotty so far.