GOP’s Owens to debate in Utah reelection bid
Newslooks- SOUTH JORDAN, Utah (AP)
Republican U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens is scheduled to debate Democrat Darlene McDonald in suburban Salt Lake City on Friday in their first and only meeting in the lead-up to the midterm elections.
Owens, a former NFL player and one of two Black Republicans in the U.S House of Representatives, is heavily favored to win the race in Utah’s 4th Congressional District that has historically swung between Democrats and Republicans until GOP lawmakers redrew its boundaries in last year’s once-in-a-decade redistricting process to make it lean more Republican.
Former President Donald Trump won the district by nine percentage points in 2020, but would have won by 26 percentage points under its new boundaries.
A debate between the two almost did not occur after Owens withdrew at the 11th hour from an earlier Utah Debate Commission-hosted televised event due to what he said were complaints about the moderator. His absence drew rebukes from McDonald and the United Utah Party’s candidate, January Walker, and reflected a trend emerging in politics nationwide of candidates deciding to minimize debate appearances or shirk them altogether. In addition to skipping the scheduled debate earlier in October, Owens also did not participate in a televised debate in the lead-up to the Republican primary. His campaign ads have focused on abortion, fighting critical race theory and opposing transgender kids playing girls’ sports.
At Friday’s event, the two candidates will meet for an evening debate that will be live-streamed but neither televised nor open to the public.
Owens converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near the end of his career in the NFL. He spent part of his childhood growing up in segregation-era Florida and its on the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Judiciary Committee, which oversaw impeachment proceedings against Trump.
McDonald, who is also Black, is an author and community activist focused on education and racial inequities in Utah. She’s previously run for office twice, unsuccessfully.
Walker, the third-party candidate, is not expected to attend the debate.
