Now Inslee Ducking Debates?

Incumbent Governor Jay Inslee refuses to debate Republican challenger Loren Culp in-person, a source with the Washington State Debate Coalition tells the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

Instead, Inslee’s team is angling for a digital debate over Zoom, where he can participate from his home. This despite assurances that an in-person debate would practice social distancing and other coronavirus best-practices recommended by Inslee’s own administration.

Inslee’s campaign has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

Inslee says no to debate over mask wearing

According to the source, Inslee won’t participate because Culp won’t wear a mask during the debate and Inslee will refuse to remove his. If this is Inslee’s position, as the source states, the insistence that both participants wear a mask during the debate isn’t just odd. It breaks with what Inslee himself practices.

While at group press conferences in the past, Inslee has worn a mask when not speaking and removed it when he does. And that’s while sharing the same microphone with other people. It’s standard practice across the country and safe. He’s even refused to wear a mask during one recent press conference saying, “I only took mine off because of the First Amendment.”