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Jonathan Nez to appear solo after Eli Crane skips debate
Democratic U.S. House candidate Jonathan Nez will have a televised platform to himself because his incumbent Republican rival declined an invitation to debate.
Rep. Eli Crane, R-Arizona, will not attend the Sept. 10 forum hosted by Arizona's Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
It would be tough for Democrats to flip his rural, conservative-leaning congressional district this year, but that hasn't stopped national political groups from pouring in money.
Both parties have funneled six-figure sums into the seat, a sign that Washington, D.C., leaders are keeping tabs on the district during a midterm cycle that is expected to be rocky for GOP candidates.
Crane, first elected to Congress in 2022, fended off a Republican primary challenge last year and coasted to an easy, double-digit victory in the 2024 general election.
He represents Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, a largely rural area that also includes the communities of Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott and Prescott Valley.
The district stretches across Apache, Coconino, Graham, Greenlee and Navajo counties, as well as parts of Gila, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal and Yavapai counties.