Edward Markey

When is a debate not a debate?

Massachusetts Republicans are looking for an answer.

The statewide GOP teed off on U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., for “canceling” a debate with Republican rival John Deaton at WWLP-TV in Springfield, arguing it’s part of a pattern by the Malden pol.

Here’s the catch: Markey never actually agreed to the debate with the Western Massachusetts broadcast outlet. But as far as the statewide GOP is concerned, that’s the same thing as canceling.

“Senator Markey just canceled his debate with 22 News in Springfield by refusing to accept the offer. This is now the second televised debate he stopped,” Massachusetts Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said in a statement.

Republicans say Markey’s campaign also played dodge-em with WCVB-TV in Boston, which had extended a debate invitation.

This tactic is not new this campaign cycle. Pols from New Hampshire to Texas, and everywhere in between, are dodging debate invites this year. The reason is a pretty simple one: Gaffes that once might not have survived the night now live on forever in social media clips.

But Republicans argued Monday that the state’s political class can’t give Western Massachusetts short shrift.

The region has seen its fair share of high-profile headlines of late, from the debate over the cost of Springfield’s new courthouse to a debilitating cyberattack on the city’s school system.

“You could do a debate on those issues and we’d do it,” a GOP strategist told MassLive.

In a text message, Markey’s campaign spokesman, Jonathan Ng, dismissed the GOP’s broadside as “another sad attempt at political distraction.”

“Senator Markey’s debate plans have not changed. He looks forward to meeting his opponent on the WBZ-TV debate stage on Oct. 13,” Ng said. “The MassGOP is once again spreading false information — no debate with WWLP was ever confirmed.”

With friends like these, etc.

Former Massachusetts governors Charlie Baker and Deval Patrick were once political rivals. But this campaign season, they’re on the same side — at least when it comes to one big issue.

This week, Republican Baker and Democrat Patrick threw their support behind a November ballot question that would scrap the state’s partisan primary election and replace it with a “top-two” system.

“Massachusetts is at its best when we put good ideas and good government ahead of politics, because the real work begins after campaigns end. All-party primaries will give voters more choice and our elected officials will have to reach across the aisle to voters from other parties if they want to be successful,” Baker said in a joint statement.

Patrick offered a similar sentiment.

“Elections ought to be a competition of ideas, experience and character than about who has the better structural advantage. All-party primaries can enable more good people to compete, and encourage more office holders to deliver results once elected,” he said.

The endorsements up the ante considerably in the fight over the ballot question, known as Question 3, which, if implemented, would see the top two finishers in a primary election advance to the November ballot.

Officials in the state Democratic and Republican parties have found common cause in their opposition to the ballot question, arguing that it could end up pitting Republicans against Republicans or Democrats against Democrats in the general election.

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, is also among the opponents. She endorsed the “No on 3″ campaign on Monday, arguing that “we can’t let private equity and dark money groups rig Massachusetts primaries to shut out working-class candidates, candidates of color, and first-time candidates in favor of those who have fast access to massive wealth and the biggest ad budgets.”

A bit of context: Deep-pocketed donors, mostly from the private equity sector, have poured millions of dollars into the “Yes on 3″ campaign, state campaign finance filings show.

Reformers argue that the change would result in a more competitive system that would offer voters broader choices and open up a political system that’s generally seen as challenger-proof.

Other prominent Massachusetts pols who have joined the “Yes on 3″ campaign include former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, former state Treasurer Steve Grossman (who also chaired the state Democratic Party), former state Republican Party Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour and former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, D-Mass.

Reading list

🚨 Most people detained in South Coast ICE raids had no criminal records, new data shows. (New Bedford Light)

💸 Delayed tax relief helped inflate Massachusetts collections in September, state officials say. (State House News Service)

🏛️ Providence City Councilor Miguel Sanchez claims he has enough votes to lead Providence’s city council as president. (Rhode Island Current)

🔥 As oil prices soar, more New Hampshire residents are falling behind on their heating bills. (New Hampshire Bulletin)

🏢 How Scarborough, Maine’s ICE facility is feeding the nationwide detention system (Maine Morning Star)

Department of endorsements

In more ballot question news, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, has come out against Question 8, the ballot question that would recriminalize recreational marijuana.

“Cannabis legalization and regulation is positive for small businesses, local communities, and restorative justice. And keeping marijuana legal in Massachusetts is both economic justice and racial justice policy,” Pressley said in a statement released by the “No on 8″ campaign.

“With Black, Hispanic, and other marginalized communities disproportionately ravaged by the War on Drugs, legalizing adult-use cannabis in Massachusetts was designed in part to begin addressing that legacy, through social equity programs, economic opportunities, and investments in communities harmed by prohibition,” she continued. “Repealing legal adult use would undo this progress and have devastating impacts on the livelihoods of those who have invested their life savings into their businesses, communities and supporting thousands of jobs. We must vote No on 8.”

Meanwhile, in Maine

New Marist College polling reaffirms Maine’s U.S. Senate race as one of the most competitive in the country.

Less than a month before Election Day, Democrat Troy Jackson leads incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, 51% to 47%. Factoring in the poll’s 3.8% margin of error, that’s pretty much a statistical dead heat.

Independents break for Jackson (52%-45%). But among the Maine electorate, 57% think Collins, a five-term incumbent, will actually win the Senate contest against Jackson (41%), the poll found.

The poll of 1,505 Maine registered voters was conducted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 4.