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Democrat candidate Jack Perry has accepted State Sen. Rob Sampson’s public challenge to debate in the 16th Senate District race.
In an email sent Friday evening to media outlets and to Sampson, Perry said he “gladly accept[s]” and that his campaign will coordinate a time, location, independent moderator, and clear rules. The statement was also posted to his campaign’s Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts.
“Senator Sampson spent this morning writing public letters about wanting to debate. My answer is already on the record: I have accepted every debate and forum invitation by any independent third party, and I will accept this one as well,” Perry wrote. “Voters deserve to hear from both candidates, compare our records, and ask tough questions.”
Sampson, the Republican incumbent, issued the challenge Thursday in a letter shared with the Centinal. He offered Perry unusually open terms: the challenger could choose the accusations drawn from months of mailers, ads, videos, and social-media posts, and Sampson said he would answer with the bills, roll calls, and his reasons for each vote. Sampson has maintained that Perry’s materials distort his record on taxes, electric rates, prescription drugs, public safety, and other issues.
Perry’s response pushed back on that framing. “He’s had 16 years in Hartford to build a record, and an entire campaign to explain it. One more event won’t change what that record says,” he wrote. “He voted against making the dollars available. Our communities did the work to bring them home. Now he wants the credit. So let’s debate.”
He added that a “no” vote “does not fund a community project, support a town service, or help a nonprofit keep its doors open,” and said he looks forward to making that distinction public.
Perry also noted he plans to attend an October 13 forum. Early voting in Connecticut begins October 19; the general election is November 3. This is a rematch of the 2020 contest, which Sampson won 53.8% to 46.2%.
Neither campaign has announced a date or format for the additional debate.
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