Nelson, Richard debate debates

Maricopa County attorney candidates Tim Nelson and Gerald Richard are trading barbs over which one of them is more averse to debating the other in the Democratic primary. Both Richard and Nelson hope to face sitting MCA Andrew Thomas, and both sides agree debates would be a terrific way for Democrats to decide which would be better against Thomas on the ballot. The trouble is, they haven't set any up.

Ask Richard's camp, and they'll say Tim Nelson has been ducking debates with them consistently.

"I've been trying to get on the same state with Tim to debate him for months now," said Richard, a former top-ranking Phoenix police official. "I'm sure Tim has a campaign to run and he's real busy, but still."

Doug Ramsey, Richard's spokesman, said Nelson has ducked out on 12 appearances with Richard.

"It's now 12 meetings in a row where Tim didn't show up," Ramsey said. "He's sent his surrogate, [campaign manager] Josh [Kilroy] to a few of them. The only place they showed up together was an LD20 meeting, and that was set up so Tim would be the featured speaker and Gerald wouldn't get a chance to respond."

Joshua Kilroy disputes the characterization.

"Gerald has unilaterally declared certain LD meetings debates even though Tim could not attend because of other commitments," Kilroy told PolitickerAZ.com in an email. Moreover, Kilroy accused Richard of ducking a debate to be sponsored by the Arizona League of Women Voters, a charge Richard denies.

"Almost two weeks ago Mark Manoil, Chair of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, sent the Richard campaign an invitation to participate in a debate with Tim Nelson which is to be sponsored by the League of Women Voters," contended Kilroy. "My understanding is that Mark has not heard back Gerald's campaign."

The Richard campaign repeatedly denied being invited to the debate, and Mark Manoil has not been available for comment.

Both campaigns agree their candidates are "eager" to debate, and that it is their opponent's fault for not having done so yet.