Even though he has raised 27 times more in campaign contributions than his challenger, Rep. Kevin McCarthy has agreed to a televised debate tonight.
McCarthy, who is the House Minority Leader, is scheduled to face Democrat Marisa Wood, airing live at 7 p.m. on KSEE’s website.
The debate between the two Bakersfield residents takes place at the Bakersfield studio of sister station KGET-17 and airs live on that channel.
KSEE anchor Alexan Balekian will moderate with Ch. 17’s Jim Scott.
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They are running in the 20th Congressional District. With redistricting, the boundaries stretch from Bakersfield to Clovis and parts of Fresno.
McCarthy has posted $27 million in fundraising, much of which he shares with GOP hopefuls across the nation. Wood, an educator, has raised a shade under $1 million.
If the Republicans take the House on election night, McCarthy is poised to become Speaker of the House, supplanting Nancy Pelosi.
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A Season of Canceled Debates
Station officials are hoping the third time is the charm with debates. Scheduled debates for House and state Senate seats were canceled the last two weeks when a candidate pulled out at the last minute.
Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, withdrew from his debate with Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Bakersfield, did the same last week against Porterville Republican David Shepard.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the McCarthy-Wood showdown was still on.
