Patty Judge’s Washington-backed candidacy took a hit last night when she bailed on a Democrat primary debate, ceding the stage to her rivals as she already struggles to connect with Iowa voters.
- Three of the four Iowa democratic candidates for U.S. Senate faced off at St. Ambrose University Monday night. Rob Hogg, Bob Krause and Tom Fiegen were all present, but candidate Patty Judge, was not." (Ashley Davis, “Democrat Candidates For U.S. Senate Debate In Davenport Monday,” KWQC, 5/16/16)
While her opponent has been described as the “Paul Wellstone of Iowa,” Judge has been ducking the opportunity to connect with skeptical voters – and it hasn’t gone over well. Her absence from last night’s debate was described as ‘spitting in the face of democracy.’
- “Organizer Bob Babcock, a member of QCARA, said, ‘I’m hearing from voters that any candidate who refuses to participate in an open debate like this is “spitting in the face of democracy” but all I know is that all of the voters deserve to get to know all the candidates.’”(Adam Burke, “Patty Judge Ducks Some Dem Senate Debates,” Little Village Magazine, 5/13/16)
Judge might enjoy the support of the Washington establishment, but she won’t find too many votes inside the Beltway. Meanwhile, her opponents are running circles around her in Iowa – and collecting support from people who actually vote. Is it time for Patty Judge and her D.C. backers to hit the panic button?