Slotkin-Hill Democratic U.S. Senate debate canceled amid format concerns

FOX 2 - In the race to replace U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, both Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and actor Hill Harper want to be the Democratic candidate. 

The two were set to debate Friday morning, at 10 a.m., at WHPR –a tiny radio and television station in Highland Park– but because of some concerns about the debate's format, the planned showdown was canceled.

The debate was to be moderated by the station's Truth to Power TV host, Darwin Griffin, and Bishop Edgar Vann II.

"We know the importance of being inclusive and unfortunately this debate that's going to happen is not going to have an African American woman journalist to moderate, nor is it going to have an audience, nor would it be broadly televised – and we know the importance of this senate race and the importance of people making an educated decision based on hearing from the candidates," said Alisha Bell, the chair of the Wayne County Commission. "This unfortunately doesn't do that."

Bell, along with women mayors and local leaders, signed a letter asking the station to secure an African American woman journalist to moderate, broadcast the debate live, let people attend and ask questions, and open the debate to the press. The letter also urged Harper not to participate unless those demands were met.

Bell says they gave the station until Thursday to respond and to change the format. As of Wednesday afternoon, they haven't heard back.

But FOX 2 did hear back from the station.

The debate was canceled, and WHPR's general manager, Maxine Willis, said their small station cannot accommodate a live audience. However, the press was welcome to attend, and WHPR sent the invitation to the candidates more than a month ago – with both candidates agreeing to the proposed rules.

"Of all the concerns that Mr. Harper has raised since accepting the debate, he never once asked us to include an African American woman as part of the moderators panel. If he had, we would have absolutely agreed," WHPR said in a statement. "To now demand new terms including a live audience just four days before the debate is less about our format and appears to be a tactic to avoid the only confirmed debate in this primary."

For his part, Harper's spokesperson told FOX 2, in part, that "Hill Harper stands with the Black women leaders who demanded a seat at the table."

"We thought we had an agreement, however our efforts have been met with confusion, division, and hurtful disappointment," WHPR's statement continued. "The fact that Mr. Harper has unfairly attacked one of Detroit's only Black-owned TV stations is disgusting and deeply offensive."

In a statement from Slotkin's campaign, they wrote: 

"We’re grateful to WHPR for their work to set up this debate. Elissa agreed to it over a month ago, and was prepping in earnest. She will instead continue to directly engage voters in Detroit and across the state."