Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
One U.S. Senate hopeful is calling shenanigans for not getting an invite to the first debate.
Augustus Sol Invictus said the debate was not open to all of the candidates, saying at least 15 candidates have emerged. In a statement, the Orlando Libertarian candidate said the organization hosting the debate pretended the Libertarian Party of Florida does not exist.
The Open Debate Coalition invited candidates who had received 15 percent in recent polls. Three candidates — Reps. David Jolly, Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy — were the only candidates who met those requirements. Only Jolly and Grayson agreed to the debate.
The hour-long debate aired online, and included questions about the minimum wage, climate change and voting rights. It was moderated by journalists with The Young Turks and the Independent Journal Review.
In a release sent moments before the debate, Invictus said his campaign was fighting to be included, but couldn’t protest the debate “because the location has not been disclosed.”
“Voters benefit from all-inclusive debates because they can choose the candidates that actually represents the interests of the citizenry — not the special interests paying for the rigged polls,” said Invictus in a statement.
