In 1978, Governor Jim Rhodes refused to debate his Democratic challenger, Dick Celeste. Thirty-six years later, Ohio’s Republican Governor John Kasich is taking the same position. On Tuesday, Kasich’s campaign announced it was walking away from debate negotiations with Democratic challenger Ed FitzGerald.
Michael LaRosa
Michael LaRosa is a former press secretary to Jill Biden and special assistant to President Joe Biden. He was a communications adviser to House leadership, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and the U.S. Senate Energy Committee. He was a producer for MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. He is currently a Partner at Ballard and Ballard Media Group, a bipartisan advocacy and public relations firm in Washington, D.C.