WMTW will not be holding a 2nd Congressional District debate after Democrat Emily Cain announced she will not be participating.
Cain’s campaign manager informed WMTW News 8 management of the candidate’s decision on Thursday morning.
Cain is skipping the debate in protest because WMTW News 8 has not invited independent candidate Blaine Richardson.
WMTW News 8 and its parent company, Hearst Television, have strict criteria about which candidates to include in political debates. Richardson does not meet those criteria.
He has not held any major campaign events, he has consistently been polling in the single digits, and he has only raised a fraction of the money that the other candidates have.
The latest campaign filings show that Cain has raised more than $1.5 million, Republican Bruce Poliquin has raised more than $1.4 million, and Richardson has raised $6,600.
Candidates who dropped out of this race before the primary have outraised Richardson as well.
The Federal Communications Commission says, “A station is free to choose its participants, provided that its intent is not to further the candidacy of any particular individual.”
Our intent at WTMW News 8 has been and remains to provide the best public service to our viewers and the voters of Maine by fostering the best discussion between the people who are going to serve Maine in Washington.
Both Cain and Poliquin have known about the WMTW News 8 debate since July and have kept the date open.
Poliquin confirmed his willingness to participate months ago.
from WMTW.com
