One of the Democratic candidates for Maryland governor is calling for negotiations about debate schedules to be held in public and not “behind closed doors in a smoke-filled room.”
Krish Vignarajah, one of seven candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to run for governor, issued a statement Wednesday morning claiming that some of her rivals have been privately negotiating to reduce the number of debates.
Vignarajah’s call for open debate negotiations came in advance of a meeting of the campaigns scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Maryland Democratic Party’s Annapolis headquarters.
Vignarajah, who has never sought elective office before, said she wants as many debates as possible.
Voters “deserve to compare candidates side by side in a public setting and decide for themselves who is worthy of their vote,” Vignarajah wrote in the statement. “They deserve as many opportunities as possible to meet with us, to talk with us, to question us, so they can decide if we uphold their values, and if they will vote for us.”
Most of the Democratic candidates have appeared at several forums and straw polls over the past several months.
The primary election is set for June 26. The winner will face Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the general election in November.