Rep. Markwayne Mullin, T.W. Shannon agree to televised debate, forum appearance

U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin and T.W. Shannon have agreed to a televised debate and a forum with Oklahoma cattlemen, giving Republican voters at least two chances to hear the U.S. Senate candidates address issues together during the runoff campaign.

The televised debate, to be conducted by News 9 and News on 6, the CBS affiliates in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 2. The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association forum is set for July 23.

“We are confident that these candidate forums will make the choice incredibly clear for voters across the state,” said Mullin, of Westville.

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“Now that we have forums that do not conflict with the congressional calendar, I have eagerly accepted the first two invitations that I received for this runoff election. I hope my opponent will step up and accept our challenge to debate.”

Shannon, CEO of Chickasaw Community Bank in Oklahoma City and former speaker of the Oklahoma House, said Friday, “I enjoyed traveling the state and debating important issues with my fellow Republican candidates during the primary. I hope the congressman keeps his word to show up this time because Oklahomans deserve it. I certainly expect him to be a formidable presence on the stage now that he’s in his second decade in Congress.”

Mullin skipped two debates, including one televised statewide, before Tuesday’s primary, citing his need to be in Washington for votes. Mullin declined an offer to appear at that debate by satellite. Mullin offered to appear virtually at the second debate, but organizers declined, citing technological complications.

More: Markwayne Mullin is latest frontrunner to skip debates. Here's why it's a common strategy.

Shannon and Mullin canceled plans to appear at a forum sponsored by the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma after first agreeing to appear.

The forum with the state’s cattle industry is set for a Saturday, and the House rarely holds votes on weekends. Congress is currently scheduled to be in recess when the Aug. 2 debate is held.

Mullin characterized his finish on Tuesday as “huge primary win. The congressman finished first in 75 of the state’s 77 counties and captured 43.6% of the vote in the 13-person field. Shannon received 17.5% of the vote.

The runoff is Aug. 23.

Mullin and Shannon are running for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, who announced in February he would step down when the current Congress ends in January. The winner will face former U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn, an Oklahoma City Democrat, in the Nov. 8 general election.

In his election night remarks on Tuesday, Shannon alluded to Mullin’s broken term limit pledge — Mullin vowed in 2012 not to serve more than three terms in Congress, but he is now in his fifth term —and seemed to do so again on Friday by referencing Mullin’s time in Washington.

However, Mullin’s tenure won’t reach one decade until January.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Mullin, Shannon agree to televised debate, joint forum appearance