Hatcher says he’s amenable to Molder’s challenge to debate before 5th District election

A debate — or a series of debates — may be on the horizon in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District race. 

Columbia Mayor and Democratic candidate Chaz Molder on Thursday morning formally challenged Republican competitor Charlie Hatcher, a farmer and former Tennessee agriculture commissioner, to a series of three debates across the district.

Molder suggested holding debates at Columbia State Community College, Rhodes College in Memphis, and the University of Tennessee at Martin. 

The challenge came after Hatcher told The Daily Memphian that “voters deserve to hear from the two nominees in this important race.”

“As a mayor, I don’t wait for an invitation to show up. I listen to folks at church on Sunday morning, around kitchen tables, at the ball field, and in my office at city hall, whether they voted for me or not,” Molder said in a Thursday news release. “The politicians who gerrymandered this district gave us a lot of ground to cover.”

“We are the ones asking for the job, so we ought to be the ones doing the traveling. No voter should have to drive three hours to hear their congressional candidates debate,” he said in the release. “Three debates will give people across this district a chance to hear from both of us in person, close to home.”

Hatcher told the Lookout Thursday that he’s open to the idea if both campaigns can agree on scheduling.

“I want a well-structured forum,” perhaps organized by an association, he said in a telephone interview from Dallas, where he is attending the Republican Midterm Convention hosted by President Donald Trump.

“I’ve been meeting folks where they are in every nook and cranny of this district for months,” Hatcher added in a written statement. “I look forward to a discussion on the issues at a time and place that works for both candidates throughout the district.”