Cunningham calls on Kennedy to agree to debate, though she already has

Will Cunningham is trying to make debate appearances into a campaign issue, but his charge that Amy Kennedy is dodging such a forum doesn’t line up.

Thursday night, Cunningham called on Kennedy to agree to attend a debate hosted by Stockton University’s William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy, but the candidate has already done so.

“We have agreement from all of the candidates who have filed FEC reports that they will participate,” Hughes Center Executive Director John Froonjian said. “But we’re still trying to work things out before we’re prepared to announce.”

Put another way, Cunningham, Kennedy and political science professor Brigid Harrison, the three Democrats that have filed campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission and remain in the race, have each agreed to appear at a debate hosted by Stockton.

Retired FBI agent Robert Turkavage, who ran for the second district’s House seat as a Republican in 2018, and perennial candidate John Francis LaVergne have yet to file reports with the FEC and were not invited.

The timing and format of the debate have yet to be finalized, Froonjian said.