The lone Democratic U.S. Senate primary debate was canceled fewer than 48 hours before it was set to take place, with the host station’s president pushing back on the Hill Harper campaign’s recent demands for format changes to the event.
In a Wednesday statement, WHPR-TV President and Chief Executive Officer R.J. Watkins announced the cancellation, calling the Harper campaign’s demands an effort to avoid the lone primary debate.
On Monday, the Harper campaign sent a letter to Watkins, expressing disappointment in not having a Black woman reporter serve on the debate panel and questioning the makeup of the debate panel in a majority Black city in the state’s largest media market.
“Black women deserve a seat at the table. Period,” the Harper campaign wrote. “To not have ONE serving on your panel is an oversight that we would not expect from a majority Black owned television station located in a majority Black owned city serving our community.”
The Harper campaign also questioned the timing of the debate because absentee ballots were sent out weeks ago and criticized the debate being streamed, without video, and without a live audience. The campaign also alleged that members of the press were not being granted access to the debate.
“These restrictions are an outrageous affront to our democracy and voter participation in the democratic process. It must not stand,” the campaign wrote.
Harper’s campaign stated that if the format changes were not made by noon Thursday, Harper would be urged not to participate.
Watkins, in a lengthy statement issued Wednesday afternoon through a press release, said the rules and format of the debate were clearly laid out when Harper and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, of Holly, were invited to participate last month.
“We thought we had an agreement; however, our efforts have been met with confusion, division, and hurtful disappointment,” Watkins said. “The fact that Mr. Harper has unfairly attacked one of Detroit’s only Black-owned TV stations is disgusting and deeply offensive. We will remain a critical source of information for our community and will continue creating quality content and hosting impactful conversations.”
He added that Harper had never raised the issue of having a Black woman serve on the moderator panel, and if he had, they would have agreed.
“To now demand new terms, including a live audience, just four days before the debate is less about our format and appears to be a tactic to avoid the only confirmed debate in this primary,” Watkins said.
Further, Watkins said the decision not to have a live audience was made to avoid potential distractions from a crowd while discussing serious issues facing the Black community. He added that the station was in contact with reporters from multiple outlets about covering the debate from the station.
Harper campaign spokesperson Greg Bowens told Gongwer News Service the matter of not having a Black woman reporter on the moderator panel had been raised by a group of Black women leaders from Detroit. The campaign chose to raise the concerns with WHPR and stands by its efforts, Bowens said.
Bowens also reiterated the concerns over the moderator panel not having a Black woman, the lack of a live audience and the timing so close to the election.
“This is not a debate, this is a sham,” Bowens said.
Slotkin campaign spokesperson Antoine Givens in a statement thanked the station for its efforts to schedule the debate.
“Elissa agreed to it over a month ago, and was prepping in earnest,” Givens said. “She will instead continue to directly engage voters in Detroit and across the state.”
