SEDALIA — Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Kehoe and Democrat Crystal Quade agreed Thursday to a debate next month hosted by the Missouri Press Association.
Kehoe did not participate in several Republican debates in the run up to the Aug. 6 primary. News stations have offered to moderate a Kehoe-Quade debate, but a date has not yet been set — though Kehoe said both parties were “interested.”
Both gubernatorial candidates spoke briefly to reporters following the annual governor’s ham breakfast at the Missouri State Fair Thursday morning, an event packed with elected officials and candidates for office up and down the ballot.
They promised a debate on the issues, rather than name-calling and performance.
“I am excited to have a conversation about policy differences and trying to get away from the flamethrowers and ridiculousness that we saw in the primary,” Quade said.
Kehoe said Quade’s viewpoints are “100% different” than his, but he expects the race to remain cordial.
“We are old fashioned in that we can disagree and still have a relationship with each other,” he said.