Steve Marks thinks there haven’t been any. Kurt Schrader, his opponent for the Democratic nomination in the 5th Congressional District thinks there have been. 

What’s all the fuss about? 

Debates, forums and joint appearances. 

The Marks campaign has been accusing Schrader of a “debate dodge.” Last month, Marks challenged the Senator to a series of debates, none of which have come to fruition. Today they launched a “missing candidate” website, which says “If you have information on the whereabouts of this individual or have knowledge of his latest excuse for not debating, please call the Missing Candidate Hotline at (503) 564-4626.” 

The site invites Democrats to print their own “missing candidate poster” which can then be silk-screened onto a t-shirt. 

Marks’s campaign manager Peter Clerkin believes that Schrader’s refusal to debate indicates that “he doesn’t have answers to his record, to why he supported the Bush tax cuts, to why he voted against raising the minimum wage, and that he doesn’t have good answer to why he voted against paid medical leave.” 

Paul Gage, Schrader’s campaign manager said that Clerkin’s claim “has no basis in reality.” Schrader’s campaign has noted that the candidate has appeared at a number of forums and debates already. Gage said, “It’s a cheap political stunt, clearly we’ve been to every corner of this district having debates and forums and joint appearances with Marks.” 

Gage pointed to the CCTV debate and Willamette Week endorsement interview—both of which can be viewed online—as examples, as well as the numerous County Democratic forums the two candidates have attended. He also noted the candidates’ upcoming appearance on OPB. 

Clerkin and Marks, however, say they want an opportunity to pose questions directly to Schrader. Clerkin believes forums don’t provide the opportunity for an in-depth exchange on the issues, and are more of an opportunity for candidates’ to once again air their stump speeches.

Gage has a bit of a different perspective on the local forums. He maintained that Clerkin’s view is “just baloney. A lot of these are open forums where voters can ask questions of candidates, and they [the voters] have asked all sorts of questions.” 

Marks has indeed missed two of these forums: he sent a representative to a forum in Tillamook on April 21 and did not attend one the following day in Milwaukie. 

Clerkin said that they received no formal notifications or invitation to the latter; as for the former, he received no response when he tried to follow-up on the invitation, and due to the distance, sent a representative who lives close by in the case they would be able to make a statement.