In 1978, Governor Jim Rhodes refused to debate his Democratic challenger, Dick Celeste. Thirty-six years later, Ohio's Republican Governor John Kasich is taking the same position. On Tuesday, Kasich's campaign announced it was walking away from debate negotiations with Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald.
"Despite good faith efforts on our side, the implosion of his campaign two months ago put a pause on debate negotiations, and then the recent abandonment by his party and giveaway of his campaign cash seems to now have finished off any serious effort by their campaign altogether,” said Kasich spokesman Connie Wehrkamp. “We think moving on is the best thing to do."
