Bob Brooks, the Democratic congressional candidate in Pennsylvania’s 7th District race, has withdrawn from a planned debate with Republican Congressman Ryan Mackenzie, just days before the two were scheduled to meet on WFMZ.
The debate was scheduled for this Wednesday. Brooks says he will not participate because of what his campaign calls false and defamatory attacks by Mackenzie.
The dispute centers on a campaign advertisement alleging Brooks violated state law by failing to offer workers’ compensation packages for employees of his lawn care business. Brooks’ campaign disputes that claim, saying he had no employees during the period in question.
Mackenzie’s campaign counters that Brooks’ son’s LinkedIn profile indicates he worked for the business during that time. They argue that even if that profile is false, that means Brooks’ son is falsely representing his resumè. Brooks’ campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter demanding the ad be withdrawn and retracted.
In a statement, Mackenzie’s campaign accused Brooks of trying to dodge accountability, saying the ad had already been running for two weeks before the cease-and-desist was sent, and that waiting until the last moment to pull out of the debate was an intentional “spectacle.”
Brooks has offered to participate in a 30-minute sit-down interview with WFMZ host Tony Iannelli instead of the debate.
The race for Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District is considered one of the most closely watched contests in the country, and one that could help determine control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
