Fighting over potential debate, Missouri’s Hawley and Kunce trade barbs at state fair

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley and opponent Democrat Lucas Kunce, the two candidates facing off in the state’s U.S. Senate race, engaged in an impromptu showdown Thursday morning at the Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair.

The candidates have been fighting over a potential debate, and Hawley walked over to Kunce at the breakfast event, saying they were ready to go and wanting to know if Kunce was prepared to go.

“Let’s debate,” Hawley said.

Kunce declined.

Kunce, a retired Marine, won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri earlier this month, and is looking to unseat Hawley in November.

Since the primary, the candidates have been fighting over a potential debate. The night of Kunce’s primary victory, Hawley immediately challenged him to a debate at the Missouri State Fair.

Last week, the Missouri State Fair Commission released a statement saying it was unable to accommodate any request for political debates on fairgrounds during the state fair.

According to the Missouri Independent, Kunce wants Hawley to agree to televised debates with moderators.

The Star’s Kacen Bayless contributed.