Neighbor News
Mr. Fitzpatrick, Let's Debate
It has been 11 days since the League of Women Voters reached out to both of our campaigns to schedule a debate, what's the hold-up?
UPDATE: As of Oct. 13th Mr. Fitzpatrick agreed to debate. The debate will be hosted by the League of Women Voters on Oct. 19th and will be made publicly available in its entirety the following day.
Michael Fitzpatrick has maintained a low profile throughout his entire career in the New York State Assembly. But this election—with so much on the line—requires as many opportunities as possible for the voters of District 8, and the residents of Smithtown, to hear the Republican incumbent’s opinions and contrast them with those of his Democratic opponent...who happens to be me.
I’m reaching out to him with a simple question: why have you not responded to the Smithtown League of Women Voters’ debate proposal?
Find out what's happening in Smithtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The League asked us 11 days ago if we would be open to having a debate in “early October.” Our campaign responded immediately and assumed the same of Mr. Fitzpatrick. But after we inquired twice with the League regarding the status of his response, it’s been All Quiet On the Western Front. It is now Oct. 9, and the election is less than a month away.
Mr. Fitzpatrick, the voters deserve to see this debate and learn more about the issues we care about and our policy plans we have to address them. Yes, we already have a debate scheduled on Oct. 15 with the Times Beacon Record, but it is our duty to be as transparent as possible for the voters to ensure that they are informed about their candidates. Considering you have quite a lot to answer for regarding your recent disregard for COVID-19 mandates and guidelines, I think it’s safe to say you owe the voters ample opportunity to publicly commit to keeping our communities safe and healthy.
Find out what's happening in Smithtownfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan civic organization and a pillar of our democracy that works tirelessly to inform voters and improve our democratic process. I know your time in office has seen consistent attacks on women’s rights and healthcare, but I assume you are ready to defend these decisions on the debate stage?
Don’t make excuses to skip out on debates, as certain politicians have done. The people of Smithtown deserve our respect, and for that reason, I highly encourage you to accept this invitation to debate.