{"id":2325186,"date":"2024-08-15T15:15:02","date_gmt":"2024-08-15T19:15:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hawley-tracks-down-democratic-challenger-at-missouri-state-fair-for-debate-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-08-15T15:16:35","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T19:16:35","slug":"hawley-tracks-down-democratic-challenger-at-missouri-state-fair-for-debate-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hawley-tracks-down-democratic-challenger-at-missouri-state-fair-for-debate-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawley tracks down Democratic challenger at Missouri State Fair for debate &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhawley-tracks-down-democratic-challenger-at-missouri-state-fair-for-debate-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2325186&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) confronted\u200d his Democratic challenger, Lucas \u200bKunce, at the Missouri State Fair\u2063 amidst an ongoing debate over their\u2062 upcoming debates. Hawley\u200b called for a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate \u2063on the fairgrounds, \u200cwhich was \u200bproposed by the Missouri\u200c Farm \u200cBureau Federation. However, Kunce stated he would only \u2063agree to this debate if Hawley confirmed dates for a moderated televised debate, which Hawley has not accepted. Despite the Farm Bureau&#8217;s invitation and Hawley&#8217;s insistence that he was offering \u2063Kunce a favor, the Missouri State Fair Commission announced that a political debate could not take place at the fair. While Hawley continued to publicize the debate, it ultimately did not\u200b occur. Instead,\u2062 he\u200d tracked Kunce down at the event, leading to a brief exchange about the debate. The atmosphere was intensified by protests from labor\u2063 groups who demanded a debate between the candidates.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Hawley tracks down Democratic challenger at Missouri State Fair for debate<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1628865\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Sen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/josh-hawley\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Josh Hawley<\/a> (R-MO) confronted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Democratic<\/a> challenger Lucas Kunce at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/missouri\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Missouri<\/a> State Fair on Thursday, leading to a back-and-forth where the pair argued about&nbsp;debate arrangements.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Hawley, who has been in office since 2019, challenged Kunce to a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate on the Missouri fairgrounds on Thursday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Missouri Farm Bureau Federation, a backer of Hawley&rsquo;s campaign, sent letters on Aug. 9 inviting Kunce and Hawley to an hour and fifteen-minute debate on top of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/20-migrants-found-stashed-in-trailer-loaded-on-another-trailer-near-border-in-texas\/\" title=\"20 Migrants Found Stashed in Trailer Loaded on Another Trailer near Border in Texas\">flatbed trailer<\/a> that would occur right before the Governor&rsquo;s Ham Breakfast.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kunce said he would agree to the debate only if Hawley agreed in writing to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/history-repeats-itself-democrats-are-using-tactics-of-the-marxists-of-1917-in-russia-to-steal-2020-election\/\" title=\"History Repeats Itself: Democrats Are Using Tactics of the Marxists of 1917 in Russia to Steal 2020 Election\">specific dates<\/a> for a moderated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>televised<\/a> debate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kunce has accepted invitations to all five <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/everything-we-feared-incoming-leftist-coalition-govt-in-germany-to-push-for-a-federal-eu-superstate\/\" title=\"&#039;Everything We Feared&#039; -- Incoming Leftist Coalition Govt in Germany to Push for a Federal EU Superstate\">televised debates<\/a>, and Hawley has not accepted any.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I cannot believe that this guy Kunce will not just say yes to this debate opportunity with the Missouri Farm Bureau,&rdquo; Hawley said. &ldquo;I am doing him a favor.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>However, on the same day the Missouri Farm Bureau Federation released those letters, the Missouri State Fair Commission released a <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LucasKunceMO\/status\/1821988106918408518\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>statement<\/a> saying they would not be able to accommodate a political debate during the fair.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Missouri State Commission believes the State Fair should continue highlighting Missouri&rsquo;s Agriculture industry and the work of our youth exhibitors,&rdquo; the Commission stated.<\/p>\n<p>Hawley tweeted days before the &ldquo;scheduled&rdquo; debate that he plans on debating Kunce one way or another.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Is Kunce coming to the State Fair or not? I&rsquo;ll be there,&rdquo; Hawley<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/HawleyMO\/status\/1823750387804807192\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title> tweeted.<\/a> &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be looking for Kunce. And I&rsquo;ll be ready to debate.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Missouri Farm Bureau even brought the trailer that would work as the debate stage for Kunce and Hawley.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The &#8294;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MOFarmBureau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@MOFarmBureau<\/a> debate trailer arriving in Sedalia for tomorrow&rsquo;s debate at the Fair. I&rsquo;ll be there. Will Kunce? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/v71J5TsQPO\">pic.twitter.com\/v71J5TsQPO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HawleyMO\/status\/1823796365811503182?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 14, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>And even without permission from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/female-reporter-says-cuomos-eat-whole-sausage-remark-not-harassment-it-was-an-informal-event\/\" title=\"Female Reporter Says Cuomo\u2019s \u2018Eat Whole Sausage\u2019 Remark Not Harassment: It Was An \u2018Informal\u2019 Event\u00a0\">state fair<\/a> or a confirmation from Kunce, Hawley circulated a flyer on X giving details about the debate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tomorrow! I&rsquo;ll be there. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hfY6wR0whz\">pic.twitter.com\/hfY6wR0whz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HawleyMO\/status\/1823873366278779316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The debate did not happen. Instead, Hawley tracked Kunce down at the fair.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Kunce has been hiding out for two weeks &ndash; I finally found him today. And he STILL won&rsquo;t debate. But I&rsquo;ll be there <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/aRjKIByq5b\">pic.twitter.com\/aRjKIByq5b<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HawleyMO\/status\/1824105367938257169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The video shows Hawley approaching Kunce and asking him, &ldquo;Are we going to debate today?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Dude, you&rsquo;re really obsessed with this stunt,&rdquo; Kunce said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Organized labor groups appeared to crash a Hawley appearance at the fair on Thursday as well, with protesters saying they want to see a clash between the candidates.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Organized labor groups (I&rsquo;m told UAW, insulators, teamsters) interrupt Hawley rally outside state fair. <\/p>\n<p>Chanting &ldquo;TV debate.&rdquo; One member tells me he wants Hawley to debate Kunce. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/mosen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#mosen<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/mogov?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#mogov<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/35PGWnXV8v\">pic.twitter.com\/35PGWnXV8v<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Kacen J. Bayless (@Kacen) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Kacen\/status\/1824134935315349742?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 15, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Kunce, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/Marines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Marine Corps veteran<\/a>, has outraised Hawley in the last quarter by $1 million dollars. Kunce has raised $2.77 million and Hawley has raised $1.78 million, leaving Hawley with $5.76 million in cash on hand with Kunce having $4.23 million.<\/p>\n<p>With an abortion amendment on Missouri&rsquo;s ballot this November, this could drive out higher voter turnout for Kunce, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jennifer-aniston-on-abortion-laws-i-repeat-no-uterus-no-opinion\/\" title=\"Jennifer Aniston On Abortion Laws: \u2018I Repeat \u2026 No Uterus, No Opinion\u2019\">abortion-rights advocate<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p> <script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1628865\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1628865\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) confronted his Democratic opponent, Lucas Kunce, at the Missouri State Fair on Thursday, resulting in a heated exchange over debate logistics. Hawley, who has held his Senate seat since 2019, proposed a Lincoln-Douglas-style debate to take place at the fairgrounds. The Missouri Farm Bureau Federation, which supports Hawley&#8217;s campaign, sent out invitations on August 9 for a 75-minute debate to be held on a flatbed trailer just before the Governor&#8217;s Ham Breakfast. Kunce agreed to participate only if Hawley committed in writing to specific dates for a moderated televised debate; he has accepted invitations for all five televised debates while Hawley has not confirmed any. &#8220;I can&#8217;t believe Kunce won&#8217;t agree to this opportunity with the Missouri Farm Bureau,&#8221; said Hawley. &#8220;I&#8217;m doing him a favor.&#8221; However, on the same day those invitations were sent out, the Missouri State Fair Commission announced that they could not host any political debates during the fair because they wanted to focus on showcasing Missouri&#8217;s agriculture and youth exhibitors. Days prior to what was supposed to be the debate date, Hawley tweeted that he intended to confront Kunce regardless of circumstances: &#8220;Is Kunce coming to the State Fair or not? I\u2019ll be there&#8230; ready for a debate.&#8221; The Farm Bureau even brought in equipment meant for staging their proposed debate.<\/p>\n<p>Despite lacking approval from state fair officials or confirmation from Kunce about participating in this event, Hawley distributed flyers detailing it via social media. Ultimately, no formal debate took place; instead, he sought out Kunce at the fairgrounds.<\/p>\n<p>In one video clip shared online by Hawley after locating him at last\u2014having claimed that Kunce had been avoiding him\u2014Hawley asked directly if they would have their discussion that day. To which Kunce replied dismissively about being fixated on what he called \u201cthis stunt.\u201d Additionally, labor groups disrupted one of Hawley&#8217;s appearances at the fair with chants demanding an actual face-off between candidates.<\/p>\n<p>Kunce\u2014a Marine Corps veteran\u2014has significantly outpaced fundraising efforts compared to Hawley over recent months by raising $2.77 million against $1.78 million raised by his opponent; currently leaving them with cash reserves of $4.23 million and $5.76 million respectively as they head into an election season marked by an abortion amendment expected on November\u2019s ballot which may boost voter turnout favoring pro-choice advocates like himself<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2542,"featured_media":2325187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hawley-kunce-debate-fair.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[3896,3690,38250],"class_list":["post-2325186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner","tag-debate","tag-hawley","tag-missouri-state-fair"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/hawley-kunce-debate-fair.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2542"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2325186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2325186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2325187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2325186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2325186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2325186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}