Keith Ellison And Challenger Cancel Final Debate After Previous Eruption

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and his Republican challenger Chris Fields have canceled their final debate, the Star Tribune reported Monday, following a series of nasty personal exchanges at a debate last week.

The final debate was set to be held Tuesday. At their Thursday debate, Fields frequently accused Ellison of being corrupt, and Ellison called Fields a liar. Then, when Fields claimed that Ellison was behind a leak to the press of domestic violence allegations against him from 2006, and made allegations about Ellison’s own divorce, Ellison proceeded to call Fields a “low-life scumbag,” a “gutter-dweller,” and an “idiot.”

Later that day, Ellison issued a statement to apologize, saying in part: “In response to my opponent’s false statement, I made an uncivil reference to him. I should not have done so. I acted beneath my personal standard as a public official, and I apologize.”

Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: