爱荷华州长辩论告吹：公共电视台主办场次取消 双方互指对方毁约
《得梅因纪事报》10月23日报道，原定由爱荷华公共电视台主办的州长辩论将不再举行。这场辩论原定10月21日举行，民主党候选人罗布·桑德因其姐夫Walter Lauridsen II于10月15日被车撞身亡而退席，并希望改期，共和党候选人扎克·拉恩一方当时表示支持。
桑德一方的说法由其副竞选经理Emma O'Brien发表声明说明：桑德方从未同意两场辩论都参加；桑德方曾让拉恩方在两家电视台中二选一，作为最后一场辩论；对方拖了五天才回复；桑德将如期参加KCRG主办的场次。
拉恩一方则有不同说法。拉恩竞选团队的总顾问卢克·汤普森表示，拉恩团队已经同意了对方提出的改期要求，对方却出尔反尔；他说，桑德竞选团队不能在候选人接连输掉辩论后就撕毁对爱荷华人民的承诺。拉恩方发言人Dan Capodilupo在10月23日的声明中称，拉恩方已接受爱荷华公共电视台将辩论改期至10月29日的提议。
两人的竞选团队原本约定举行四场辩论，此前已经举行了两场，分别由达文波特的KWQC电视台和苏城的KTIV电视台主办。10月27日星期二，由KCRG电视台与《公报》主办的第三场暨最后一场辩论仍将举行。选举日为11月3日，州长宝座是今年该州最受关注的选战之一，选民可通过州务卿网站查询投票安排。这场辩论告吹的消息在选战最后十天传出，给本已激烈的选情再添变数。
来源：GSM·美国
Iowa Gubernatorial Debate Called Off: Iowa PBS Session Canceled as Both Sides Accuse the Other of Breaking the Deal
The Des Moines Register reported on Oct. 23 that the gubernatorial debate to be hosted by Iowa PBS will no longer be held. The debate had been scheduled for Oct. 21, and Democratic candidate Rob Sand withdrew and sought to reschedule after his brother-in-law, Walter Lauridsen II, was struck by a car and killed on Oct. 15; Republican candidate Zach Lahn's side expressed support at the time.
Sand's side laid out its position in a statement by his deputy campaign manager, Emma O'Brien: the Sand campaign never agreed to take part in both debates; it had asked the Lahn campaign to choose one of the two television stations for the final debate; the other side took five days to reply; and Sand will take part in the KCRG-hosted debate as scheduled.
The Lahn side tells a different story. Luke Thompson, general consultant to the Lahn campaign, said the Lahn team had already agreed to the rescheduling request the other side made, only for the other side to go back on its word, and that the Sand campaign cannot tear up its commitment to the people of Iowa just because its candidate has lost debate after debate. Lahn campaign spokesperson Dan Capodilupo said in a statement on Oct. 23 that the Lahn side had accepted Iowa PBS's proposal to reschedule the debate to Oct. 29.
The two campaigns had originally agreed to hold four debates, two of which have already taken place, hosted by KWQC in Davenport and KTIV in Sioux City. The third and final debate, hosted by KCRG and The Gazette on Tuesday, Oct. 27, will still be held. Election Day is Nov. 3, the governor's race is one of the most closely watched contests in the state this year, and voters can check voting arrangements on the secretary of state's website. News that this debate had fallen through came in the final ten days of the campaign, adding another variable to an already heated race.
Source: GSM News
来源：GSM·美国（原文链接）
图片来源：爱荷华州议会大厦金顶（得梅因）。图片经 Wikimedia Commons。The golden dome of the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Via Wikimedia Commons.
