After criticizing Cawthorn for not debating, Edwards says he will only do 1 debate

After criticizing Western North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn for not showing up to debates, Republican state Sen. Chuck Edwards will be a no-show himself, declining to attend a forum this week and saying he will limit such appearances to only one.

Word of Edwards' decision to debate only a single time comes as residents of the 11th congressional district's 14 1/2 counties will be able to start voting as early as September through mail-in ballots.

Democratic Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara and Libertarian David Coatney agreed to the Aug. 31 debate sponsored by the Smoky Mountain News and Blue Ridge Public Radio. But Edwards declined, saying he would participate only in one sponsored by television station WLOS.

"The Edwards Campaign is currently in discussion with WLOS-TV for a televised candidate debate," Campaign Manager Aubrey Woodard said in a July 28 email to the organizers. "This format offers the greatest viewing audience for western North Carolina. As a scheduling reality, Senator Edwards will only be able to participate in one joint candidate debate or forum."

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Woodard and Edwards did not respond to Aug. 29 questions from the Citizen Times. The email was provided by the Smoky Mountain News, which first reported on Edwards declining the debate.

During the crowded GOP primary, Edwards criticized Cawthorn, who said he would limit appearances to two forums.

"I want to commend 6 of my fellow candidates for understanding that half of any job is just showing up," Edwards tweeted after the April 11 Republican-organized event at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher at which a chair with Cawthorn's name sat empty. "Those of us who were there care enough about the future of WNC to do just that," Edwards said.

In his latest tweet, on Aug. 25, Edwards thanked supporters who came to a fundraising event in Asheville the night before.

WLOS News Director Brian Nemitz told the Citizen Times Aug. 29 he would contact the station's General Manager Courtney Youngblood before responding to questions, including when the debate would be held.

Beach-Ferrara's campaign said she had agreed to the station's debate, which would be in "early October." She panned Edwards' decision on this month's forum, saying the N.C. senator was "hiding" and that she would debate him "anywhere and anytime."

“His extremism is not in line with the values of Western North Carolina," she said. "I get why he doesn’t want to face votes and explain his positions. But the people of Western NC expect and deserve honesty and accountability."

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Edwards, the front-runner according to electoral patterns that saw Donald Trump — and every statewide GOP candidate — win 54% of the 2020 vote in the current district lines, is following a trend of candidates who limit debates, said Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper.

"He has good reason to assume that he’s the likely winner, so debates only create the opportunity for him to falter and provide little clear upside," Cooper said.

A poll conducted in May for Beach-Ferrara's campaign showed her trailing 46% to 40%. Spokesperson Luke Tonat said after the Supreme Court overturned abortion protections, outraging Democrats, she has likely tightened the race, calling it "an extremely competitive contest."

But Cooper said while the once-predicted "red wave" may have lost some strength, the 11th District still looks to break in Republicans' favor.

The candidates come from very different areas and backgrounds. Beach-Ferrara, a local elected official and ordained minister from one of the most liberal parts of the state, has helped change national policy on LGBTQ rights. Her campaign has focused on issues such as reducing childhood poverty, preserving farmland and abortion rights.

Edwards, a WNC native and member of the General Assembly GOP majority, worked at McDonald's as a youth and now owns multiple McDonald's franchises. He hails from Henderson County, a bastion of mountain conservatism, and has campaigned on border security, a balanced budget and energy independence.

By agreeing to one forum, Cooper said Edwards avoids criticism faced by Ted Budd and Herschel Walker, Republican Senate candidates in North Carolina and Georgia who have declined to face off against opponents.

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"Avoiding debates is a more and more common decision in American politics. It is highly unlikely that we will have a debate in North Carolina’s critical U.S. Senate race," the WCU professor said of the contest between Budd and Democrat Cheri Beasley.

Getting information to voters now is especially key with the increased interest in voting by mail. Those ballots will be mailed out upon request starting Sept. 9. There are already 2,230 requests, according to Buncombe County Election Services figures. That is 31% of the 7,521 mail-in ballots requested in 2016. That number skyrocketed to 52,264 in 2020 during the pandemic.

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at jburgess@citizentimes.com, 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times. 

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Edwards criticized Cawthorn's debate no shows; now declines debate