Phil Scott will not debate at Tunbridge World's Fair

On Thursday, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Sue Minter will take the stage for the Tunbridge World's Fair debate and face an empty chair.

Her Republican opponent, Phil Scott, has declined his invitation to the iconic event because the moderator, WDEV's Mike Smith, failed to invite Liberty Union candidate Bill Lee.

Scott released a set of criteria for participating in debates last month. One criteria was that all candidates who appear on the ballot in November must be invited and encouraged to participate. The lieutenant governor's campaign cited respect for the process and to maintain a diverse dialogue as reasons behind setting the conditions.

Scott faced off against Sue Minter last month in a one-on-one debate sponsored by the Vermont chapter of the National Education Association. Ethan Latour, a spokesman for Scott, said that invitation already had been accepted before the criteria were set.

Smith blasted Scott's campaign in a column, characterizing him as a fair and honest guy being steered in the wrong direction by his campaign staff.

"This is a tactical calculation by the Scott campaign, not a philosophical one. The tactic fails because it looks like he is ducking a head-to-head debate with Minter," Smith wrote in a column.

Sue Minter will face off against the empty chair from 9:05 to 10 a.m. Thursday. Debates between lieutenant governor candidates, attorney general candidates and local Tunbridge state representatives will follow.

Minter and Scott have agreed to ten debates in addition to the Vermont-NEA debate last month.

This story was first published online on Sept. 13, 2016. Contact Jess Aloe at 802-660-1874 or jaloe@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jess_aloe