Thursday night’s scheduled Secretary of the State debate was canceled after the Republican candidate cited “unforeseen circumstances.”
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, I am unable to attend” the debate, Dominic Rapini said in a statement.
Rapini said his team is working to reschedule and that he feels “strongly that voters deserve to hear directly from the candidates.”
He was set to debate Democrat Stephanie Thomas at an event organized by Connecticut Public and the League of Women Voters of Connecticut.
“I’m very disappointed that Mr. Rapini is unable to participate” in the debate, Thomas said in a statement. “Secretary of the State is one of the most important positions in state government, and voters deserve the opportunity to learn more about the stark differences in our platforms.”
Rapini has called for tightening voter ID requirements and cleaning the state’s voter rolls. Thomas has pledged to oppose Republican attempts to tighten voting rules.
Connecticut Public said it hopes to reschedule the debate in coming weeks. Connecticut Public and the League of Women Voters have teamed up to host a series of debates with various candidates leading up to the November election.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.