Endicott College canceled a 6th Congressional District debate between Democrat Dan Koh and Republican Micah Jones after announcing the event without confirming both candidates.
The college scrapped the Sept. 17 forum at Cleary Lecture Hall on its Beverly campus on Thursday, Sept. 10. In a statement to Patch, the school said it announced the debate without securing formal confirmation and took full responsibility for the error.
The cancellation set off a back-and-forth between the two campaigns ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
Jones accuses Koh of avoiding debates
Jones, an Essex attorney and U.S. Army veteran, accused Koh of declining both the Beverly debate and a separate Tuesday, Sept. 22 debate in Swampscott. Jones had challenged Koh to three debates immediately after Koh won the Sept. 1 Democratic primary.
"North Shore and Merrimack Valley voters deserve a public and honest conversation about the issues most important to building a better future for our communities," Jones said, according to Patch. He added that his request was "responsible and reasonable" and urged Koh to reconsider.
Both campaigns traded blame.
Koh campaign points to 11 prior debates
The Koh campaign pushed back, saying Koh has participated in 11 debates during this election cycle, including at least one with Jones, and has attended hundreds of community events. The campaign said it would continue meeting voters, answering their questions and sharing its vision for the district.
Jones also pointed to Koh's own primary night words as evidence of a contradiction. On Sept. 1, Koh told supporters, "We'll go anywhere, talk to anyone, and take up any fight to defend the America we know and love and to build a better future for our children," as we reported Sept. 2.
What it means for Andover voters
Koh, a former Andover Select Board member and former Biden administration official, won the six-candidate Democratic primary with about 41% of the districtwide vote. He carried Andover with 49.3%, topping state Rep. Tram Nguyen's 39.7%.
He now faces Jones for the open seat left by U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who gave up the 6th District seat to challenge Sen. Ed Markey. The Cook Political Report rates the district 11 points more Democratic than the nation, according to the Marblehead Independent.
No future debate between the two candidates has been announced. No source confirms the organizer or status of the Sept. 22 Swampscott event Jones referenced.
