Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith wants his Republican challenger to elaborate his positions on county issues before agreeing to a public debate, his campaign said.
In his latest in a series of requests for a debate since September, challenger Clarence Bell sent Smith an e-mail Sunday, suggesting parameters for debates that would last one hour and focus on a single local issue.
Smith campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford replied Wednesday, saying Smith has already discussed his positions on issues publicly ? at community roundtables, forums, and in his budgets and daily governance.
“He doesn?t have any stances,” Clifford said of Bell.
“Unless he has some ideas or concrete proposals that he can identify for us and for the people of the county, there?s really not much to debate.”
Bell said he is convinced Smith is “ducking” a debate.
“It?s ridiculous,” Bell said. “He doesn?t want to face the voters who have a decision to make in November.”
Smith defeated three Democratic rivals in the September primary, capturing 77 percent of 89,300 votes cast. Bell beat Republican opponent Norman Cioka with 79 percent of 23,3000 votes cast.
Officials from the county?s chapter of the nonpartisan League of Women?s Voters said they are considering inviting Smith and Bell ? plus the two candidates for Baltimore County state?s attorney ? to a tentative debate the first week of November.
Republican Doug Riley, a current candidate for state Senate, said Smith declined to debate him during the 2002 race for county executive.
Considering Smith?s victory with 57 percent of the vote, Riley said the strategy might have been smart.
“Obviously it was effective,” Riley said.
“The problem is, if you debate your opponent and you?re the front-runner, it gives the opponent credibility he might not otherwise get.”
