Lower-rated hopefuls for Senate in Wisconsin suing party to be allowed in debate

The La Crosse Center hosted eight Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate during the party’s convention in late June. But the party is leaning toward having only four of those candidates in a debate the week before the primary in August.

Now, three candidates low in the polls are suing to get themselves included in that debate.

Darrell Williams, Kou Lee, and Peter Peckarsky say limiting the field for the debate would violate the Democratic Party charter.

Debate planners reportedly want to include only candidates who scored 5 per cent or higher in a Marquette University poll. Those candidates are Mandela Barnes, Alex Lasry, Sarah Godlewski, and Tom Nelson.

The proposed debate is set for August 1st, with the August 9th primary to choose a challenger to two-term Republican Senate Ron Johnson.